Overview
- Deltapoll polled more than 2,000 UK adults in January 2025 about Christmas 2024 gifts, with 21% reporting an unwanted or unsuitable present.
- Notable duds cited included a limited‑edition Marmite‑scented Lynx deodorant, already‑worn pyjamas, rotten coconut and pineapple, a Tottenham Hotspur book for a Chelsea fan, and a helicopter ride for someone with vertigo.
- Of those receiving an unwanted gift, 33% kept it and would use it, 15% kept it but would not use it, and 34% got rid of it rather than return or exchange.
- Disposal routes included giving to friends or family (12%), donating to charity shops (10%), selling on online marketplaces (8%), throwing items away (2%), and handing them back to the giver (1%).
- Which? reports that nearly half of people who attempted a return encountered problems, cautioning that proof of purchase is often required and some retailers only allow the original buyer to request refunds.