Second hand gifts to be given by one in four this Christmas survey suggests

One in four people are likely to give a second-hand gift to relatives or friends this Christmas, new research suggests.

A survey of 2,000 adults by Royal Mail found that half said they would be happy to receive a second-hand or regifted present, with only one in four taking umbrage.

Most of the one in four respondents who plan to give second-hand gifts said they would tell the recipient, with the most popular items revealed as books, toys, jewellery and clothes.

Reducing costs and environmental concerns were the biggest motivators for giving second-hand gifts.

Nick Landon, chief commercial officer for Royal Mail Parcel Collect, said: “Many people own items they don’t use that someone else would love.”

A separate study by online giant Amazon found that half of adults say they enjoy hunting for deals on second-hand items.

The survey of 2,000 people suggested that one in three refused to pay full price for anything.

Only one in five respondents said they would mend an appliance if it breaks, preferring to throw away items such as toasters and kettles.

The most common reasons for giving up on a repair were not knowing where to start and worrying that attempts to repair something would make it worse.

Amazon said it sold four million returned and refurbished products in the UK last year online through its Second Chance service.

Published: 08/12/2023 by Radio NewsHub