This Holiday Season, Chances Are You’ll Waste Billions on Unwanted Gifts
This holiday season, the odds are against you receiving a gift that you really want. According to a new survey, more than half of Americans (53%) will receive a gift they don’t want, with an estimated $10.1 billion being spent on unwanted presents. That’s an all-time high in both volume and cost.
The survey found that roughly 140 million Americans will receive at least one unwanted present in 2024, with one in 20 people expecting to receive at least five gifts they won’t want to keep. The average cost of these unwanted items is expected to rise to $72 this holiday season, up from $66 last year.
Clothing and accessories top the list of most unwanted gifts, with 43% of people hoping to avoid them. Household items and cosmetics/fragrances follow, with technology gifts becoming increasingly unpopular.
So, what happens to these unwanted presents? The survey found that 39% of Americans plan to pass them along to someone else, while 32% will take advantage of post-holiday exchange policies to swap them. Meanwhile, 27% plan to sell their sub-par presents for cash, a significant increase from last year.
If you’re still looking for last-minute gifts, choose wisely, as there’s a high chance the person you’re buying for won’t like your choices.
