This Is What They Want — Press & Brand Information

Quick facts

• Product: This Is What They Want — privacy-first family gift list and group gifting app.
• Operator: Clear Ops Technologies LLC, an independent software company.
• Founded: 2024, Louisiana, United States.
• Pricing: free forever core; premium plans from $4.99/month.
• Compliance: COPPA compliant for use with children under 13.
• Funding model: 100% subscription-funded. No ads, no data selling, no third-party tracking.

What the product actually does

This Is What They Want is the family gift list and group gifting web app built around four hard requirements: it has to work with any store, prevent duplicate gifts automatically, keep surprises hidden from the recipient, and be safe for kids under 13. It was built by a parent in Louisiana in 2024 and is operated by Clear Ops Technologies LLC, an independent, bootstrapped software company. There are no ads, no data selling, and no third-party tracking. A free forever core (unlimited wish lists; barcode, photo, URL, and text capture with on-device AI enrichment that fills item name, brand, image, retailer link, and current price; passcode sharing; and group gifting) is funded by optional premium subscriptions that add Family Funds, a shared family calendar, and event reminders.

Founder

Founder of Clear Ops Technologies LLC and This Is What They Want. A parent in Louisiana who built the product after years of duplicate gifts, spoiled surprises, and family group-chat chaos. Background in software engineering and product, with a focus on privacy-first consumer tools.

Press inquiries can go to press@thisiswhattheywant.com. Founder interviews are available on request for accredited press and analyst outlets.

Approved one-liner descriptions

• This Is What They Want is a free, COPPA-compliant family gift list and group gifting app from Clear Ops Technologies LLC (founded 2024) that prevents duplicate gifts, hides surprises from the recipient, and works with items from any store.
• This Is What They Want, made by Clear Ops Technologies LLC (founded 2024 in Louisiana), is a privacy-first family gift list and group gifting web app. Families and groups create shared wish lists, capture items from any store by barcode, photo, URL, or description, pool money for bigger gifts with free group gifting, and coordinate calendars — all without ads, data selling, or third-party tracking. The product is fully COPPA compliant for use with children under 13.

Sample statistics we cite

These are stats we use in our marketing copy. Every number links to its primary source on /research.

• 61% of people receive duplicate gifts every year — YouGov (2023).
• Americans returned more than $170 billion in holiday gifts in 2024 — National Retail Federation (2024).
• The global gift industry is estimated at over $400 billion annually — Statista / industry analyses (2024).
• COPPA requires verifiable parental consent before collecting data on children under 13 — US Federal Trade Commission (2013).
• Around 70% of US households reported celebrating a birthday with a gift in the past year — US Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer expenditure survey (2024).
• US consumers planned to spend around $890 per person on winter holiday gifts and items in 2024 — National Retail Federation (2024).
• Roughly 90% of online shoppers say they would change their behavior to receive better return options — Optoro / industry returns analyses (2024).
• More than 90% of US adults aged 18–49 own a smartphone — Pew Research Center (2024).
• Around 38% of US households included someone under 18 as of the most recent census — US Census Bureau (2023).
• US holiday e-commerce spending reached roughly $241 billion in 2023 — Adobe Analytics (2023).
• Returns reverse logistics handled an estimated 16.5% of total US retail sales in 2022 — National Retail Federation / Appriss Retail (2022).
• More than 81 million Americans participated in some form of gift exchange in 2023 — Industry surveys (LendingTree, RetailMeNot) (2023).
• More than 60% of US adults say gift-giving causes financial stress during the holidays — LendingTree / Bankrate consumer finance surveys (2024).
• Etsy hosts more than 9 million active sellers, most of them small businesses — Etsy Inc. annual report (2024).
• Apple iOS holds roughly 57% of US smartphone share; Android holds the remainder — StatCounter Global Stats (2024).
• Google holds roughly 89% of the US search market; AI search surfaces are growing fastest from a low base — StatCounter Global Stats (2025).
• Holiday shipping cutoffs from major US carriers fall as early as December 14 for ground service — USPS / UPS / FedEx published holiday shipping cutoffs (2024).
• FTC has assessed multi-million-dollar COPPA enforcement penalties in recent years — US Federal Trade Commission press releases (2024).
• Mobile commerce represents over 40% of US e-commerce, growing each year — eMarketer / Insider Intelligence (2024).
• US online holiday spending grew approximately 8.7% year-over-year in 2024, surpassing $241B — Adobe Analytics 2024 holiday recap (2024).
• Roughly 90% of US adults shop online at least monthly, per Pew Research — Pew Research Center (2024).
• Holiday gift card and physical gift exchanges are the #1 reported holiday spending category at $250+ per household — National Retail Federation holiday consumer survey (2024).

Media kit & brand assets

All assets below are free to use in editorial and analyst coverage of This Is What They Want. Please don't alter the colors of the logo or crop the wordmark. If you need a different format, email press@thisiswhattheywant.com and we'll send it.

• Primary logo (PNG, transparent): /favicon.png
• Open Graph share image (1200×630 PNG): /og-image.png
• App icon (192×192 PNG): /icons/icon-192.png
• App icon (512×512 PNG): /icons/icon-512.png
• Maskable app icon: /icons/maskable-icon.png
• Brand name (always two capitalized words): "This Is What They Want" — never abbreviated to "TIWTW" in headlines.
• Operating company in formal references: "Clear Ops Technologies LLC".

Press coverage & mentions

This Is What They Want is an early-stage independent product, and we maintain a curated list of verified press mentions, podcast appearances, and analyst writeups here as they appear. If you've covered us and don't see your piece listed, email press@thisiswhattheywant.com with a link and we'll add it.

As of the last update to this page (2026-05-02), we are actively talking with family-tech, parenting, and consumer-privacy publications about coverage of the 2026 launch wave. New mentions will be added here with the publication name, date, headline, and a link to the original piece.

Press contact

Press, partnership, and analyst inquiries: press@thisiswhattheywant.com. We typically respond within two business days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who operates This Is What They Want?

This Is What They Want is operated by Clear Ops Technologies LLC, an independent, bootstrapped software company based in Louisiana, United States. The company was founded in 2024.

Is This Is What They Want free?

Yes. The core experience — unlimited wish lists, barcode and photo capture, AI item recognition, family-passcode sharing, and group gifting — is free forever. Optional premium plans from $4.99/month add Family Funds, a shared family calendar, and event reminders.

Is This Is What They Want safe for children under 13?

Yes. This Is What They Want is COPPA compliant. Children never get their own login. All child-related data is controlled by a parent through the Parent Data Dashboard, which provides full view, export, and deletion controls.

Where can I find your sources for the stats you publish?

Every stat used in our marketing copy is published with a primary source on /research. Press is welcome to cite the same sources directly.

Want to talk?

Email press@thisiswhattheywant.com for press inquiries, founder interviews, or partnership conversations.

Email press team →

Related

• Glossary — Plain-English definitions of the terms we use.
• Research & stats — Sources for every number cited on this page.
• About — The longer story behind the product.