{"id":100576,"date":"2024-12-27T14:35:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-27T14:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=100576"},"modified":"2024-12-27T14:19:30","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T14:19:30","slug":"christmas-gifts-232-million-in-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/christmas-gifts-232-million-in-return\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Gifts Gone Wrong: \u00a3232 Million in Returns Last Year Alone"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As the festive season approaches, the findings shed light on how Christmas gifts, a central tradition of the holidays, often lead to inefficiencies and waste. The survey offers valuable insights into the impact of these missteps, urging both givers and retailers to reconsider their approaches to festive gift-giving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Christmas Gifts : Many Go Unused or Discarded<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.which.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Which?<\/a><\/em> Survey involving over 2,000 respondents revealed that <strong>21% of individuals<\/strong> received <strong>unwanted or unsuitable gifts<\/strong> last Christmas. The examples ranged from practical mismatches, such as a vegetarian being gifted roast beef, to humorous oddities like a 19-year-old tumble dryer or regifted shower gel from a previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The data illustrates a troubling trend:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>30% of recipients <strong>discarded items<\/strong> entirely.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>12% donated their gifts to <strong>charity shops.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>10% passed them on as gifts<strong> to others<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>5% turned to online marketplaces like <strong>eBay or Vinted<\/strong> to sell the items.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Consumer experts warn that these responses, though practical, represent a broader issue of wasted effort, resources, and environmental impact during the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/hmrc-advice-christmas-workers-pay-check\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"99999\">holiday season<\/a>. From the energy spent manufacturing and transporting unwanted items to the growing challenge of managing discarded goods, the implications extend beyond individual households. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.postoffice.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Post Office<\/a> estimating \u00a3232 million worth of gifts returned in early 2023 alone, the financial and ecological consequences underscore the importance of addressing this growing problem in a more thoughtful and sustainable manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical Advice for Givers and Retailers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The significance of giving recipients flexibility and choice is among the <strong>survey<\/strong>&#8216;s<strong> <\/strong>main conclusions. According to <strong>Lisa Webb,<\/strong> a consumer law expert at <strong><em>Which?<\/em><\/strong>, gift-givers should always include gift receipts so that recipients can return or exchange any goods that don&#8217;t fit. \u201cIt\u2019s always worth getting a gift receipt so your loved one has the option to return their gift if needed,\u201d Webb said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She also highlighted a common challenge with <strong>online <a href=\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/november-slump-uk-retailers-festive-hope\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"99984\">purchases<\/a><\/strong>: &#8220;Sometimes, for online orders, only the buyer can request a refund or exchange. But if the item was marked as a gift when ordered, the retailer\u2019s <strong>returns policy <\/strong>may enable a recipient to return or exchange it.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Retailers, too, have a role to play in mitigating this <strong>issue<\/strong>. Policies that simplify the return process for gift recipients can help reduce waste and ensure customer satisfaction. Encouraging shoppers to consider practical or universally appreciated <strong>items <\/strong>might also alleviate the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Christmas approaching, these <strong>insights <\/strong>serve as a timely reminder for consumers to rethink their gifting strategies. By focusing on thoughtful and flexible choices, the festive season can be a source of joy for all without unnecessary waste.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Unwanted gifts during Christmas are a common occurrence, with a significant percentage of recipients discarding or regifting items. A recent survey by consumer watchdog Which? highlights the financial and emotional cost of unsuitable gifting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":100589,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100576"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100600,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100576\/revisions\/100600"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}