According to research published by Vistaprint, 2020 is the year for thoughtful and meaningful gifts. Two thirds (65%) of people questioned say their motivation is on account of friends and family have had a hard time this year. Nearly half (45%) say Covid-19 has made them realise how much they've missed their nearest and dearest. And one in three (34%) have been made unemployed or redundant.
It seems the last thing we want is to be on receiving end of a gift that has been passed on. A basket of smellies is the most likely present to be "regifted" (35%), closely followed by a scented candle (34%) and an empty picture frame (29%). Over half of Brits say (55%) say they appreciate the thoughtfulness of a personalised gift over anything else.
Pressure will intensify with shops selling all but essentials closed for lockdown, until early December. Over half of people questioned said they'll be ordering much more online this year, instead of waiting to go into a shop.
In the past Secret Santa gifts have fared the worst, with 1 out of 2 people admitting they'd repackaged a present to pass it on to someone else! Secret Santa fails to include picking something that looks cheap (29%), a gift that is rude or x-rated (27%) or one that is below the agreed budget (23%). Generous Brits spend £12.38 on average per Secret Santa gift.
With more people set to be apart during the festive period following a tough year, 65% of survey respondents said they would put in extra effort when choosing gifts this Christmas for colleagues, friends and family.
One in ten people (10%) claim they'll be gifting to key workers this year, in appreciation of the work they've done.
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