Maybe you got it wrong. Maybe you chose one at the last minute 10 euro parcel taken from some list like “20 last minute Christmas gifts”. Maybe it was a duplicate. Maybe you picked up the first book with a colorful cover without even reading the plot. If your Christmas present ends up in some of these maybe it is likely that it may also end up on sale on one second hand platform.
There is also a technical term for what we commonly call recycling: regifting. According to research published by Ipsos Doxa for eBay In Italy alone, around 30 million unwanted gifts are discarded every year. And many end up becoming the an unwanted gift from someone else.
According to the data released by the research, only the 39% decides to keep a gift that he didn’t appreciate. The 22% it is more clear-cut: he gives them away to others, thus making them most likely an unwanted gift from someone else. The 17% instead he leaves everything in a drawer that will never be opened again. The data that interests us most, however, is another: the resale. According to Ipsos Doxa this year the percentage of gifts that will be resold will reach 20%.
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Which channels to follow to understand the flow of gifts
The only certain way to understand if your gift will be used or resold is to insert a AirTags somewhere in the package. Sure, maybe it’s not there cheapest solution or the best way to maintain your relationships. Stalking attempts aside, a good strategy could be to follow the recipients of your gifts on platforms like Vinted or eBay. Just make sure you have set the search by user and not by product. You can also do the reverse operation: look for the suspect product and then from there trace the users who put it up for sale. Ah, wait a few days. Maybe not even Ebenezer Scrooge resell his presents on Christmas Day.
Now the episodes that have generated embarrassment on these platforms there are many. There are influencers who resell promotional packages sent by brands at market prices. And there are TV presenters with Vinted profiles full of worn shoes. But perhaps we saw the most sensational case of a recycled gift in the last Olympics.
The videos of the athletes have gone quite viral on social media Paris 2024 who were unboxing their welcome kits. Lavish gift boxes full of products of the companies that had sponsored the event. Too bad that many of those products ended up on sale on eBay in a couple of days. If you look hard you can also find the Olympic edition Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 which was given as a gift to all the athletes.
