Did you get some horrible gifts this year? Tacky stuff? Things you'll never use? Items you already had? What do you intend to do with them? A new trend sweeping our web savvy society is to pop those items on eBay to make a quick profit.
eBay has even has a special "Unwanted Christmas Present" section on its site. Looking through the items you can almost feel the cringing and awkward hug to grandma, then practically hear the scheming to turn a profit from the tragically practical or 5-years-out-of-date gifts. Items currently up for bid include a Baby Phat cell phone pouch, Ugg boots, and a messenger bag and sock combo.
In the coming days, 1 in every 10 Germans will auction off their unwanted Christmas gifts online according to a BITKOM survey. In a group of 14-29 year olds, 17% planned to make a little extra cash this way. Overall, 13% of men attempt to ditch their gifts for cash while 9% of women do.
About 50% will keep an unwanted gift anyway, about one in three will bring gifts back to the store, and one in five plans on re-gifting something.
Although these are only statistics from Germany, the likelihood this is a common practice in other countries is quite high.
Reselling Christmas
eBay Flooded With Unwanted Gifts
Trend Themes
1. Reselling Unwanted Gifts - Opportunity for online marketplaces to cater to the growing trend of reselling unwanted gifts for profit.
2. Re-gifting Culture - Potential for businesses to capitalize on the trend of re-gifting by offering unique and personalized gift options.
3. Gift Return Optimization - Opportunity for retailers to streamline and improve the gift return process to meet customers' needs effectively.
Industry Implications
1. E-commerce - E-commerce platforms should adapt to the trend of reselling unwanted gifts by creating dedicated sections and features for such listings.
2. Personalized Gifts - Personalized gift businesses can leverage the re-gifting culture by offering customized options that cater to individual preferences.
3. Retail - Retailers should optimize their gift return policies and procedures to enhance customer satisfaction and retain their business.