Merry Thriftmas: Are Britons happy to receive second-hand gifts?

Merry Thriftmas: Are Britons happy to receive second-hand gifts?

Christien Pheby - December 11th, 2024

Much has been written about the move towards second-hand purchases. Advocates of the practice argue that buying “pre-loved”, whether from charity shops or on platforms such as Vinted, is eco-friendly – and that it can get you better quality goods for less money. 

New YouGov Surveys data suggests that enthusiasm for the practice extends to the festive season. More than half of the general public would be pleased to receive second-hand gifts for Christmas (55%), with just 14% saying they would be unhappy to do so. 

Younger Britons are more likely to be open to the idea of a previously-owned present than older consumers. Among 18-24s, three-quarters (74%) would be happy to open a second-hand gift on Christmas morning – this falls to 46% among over-55s. Some corners of the media have emphasised the trend towards used purchases as a Gen Z phenomenon, and these findings may affirm it to some extent. That said, no age group is particularly offended by the idea of receiving a second-hand gift, and each one likes the idea more than they dislike it. 

But if the public would be happy to receive a thrifted Christmas present, would they actually buy one for another person? Largely not. Our data shows that just a fifth (21%) would do so; rising to 29% among Britons aged 25-34 and falling to 13% among over 55s. This suggests there remains – if not an outright prejudice – a kind of awkwardness around buying someone a used Christmas gift, even if they might appreciate the gesture themselves. 

We also asked about which pre-loved Christmas gifts Britons would be most and least happy to receive. Music paraphernalia such as vinyl records and memorabilia tops our non-exhaustive list (69%), with decorative objects such as vases and art coming in second (66%). Furniture comes in third (53%) – with respondents perhaps thinking more of characterful antiques than stained Argos sofas. Electronics such as laptops and games consoles are not far behind (50%), and this may make a degree of sense: Will a child know the difference between a used PS5 and a new one, so long as they both function well and play the games?

The kinds of used gift that a majority would not be happy to receive are toys and games (44%) – perhaps the occasional charity shop experience of buying a board game or jigsaw and only finding out about its missing pieces when you have returned home has coloured some opinion here – as well as sports/exercise equipment (41%). Used home and kitchen items such as air fryers and coffee makers are even less popular (37%). 

By some distance, second-hand headphones and earphones are the item Britons would be least happy to receive as a gift (20%). In fairness, it is one thing to change the batteries on a pre-loved gadget, and quite another to spend Christmas morning scraping desiccated ear-gunk out of used AirPods. 

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YouGov polled 1,964 British adults online on 4 December 2024. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, region, and social grade. The margin of error is 2% for the overall sample. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Self-serve.