Socks and jocks, non-stick fry pans and scented bath oils – cross them off the list this year

A nationwide survey conducted by Galaxy Research has revealed that nearly 72% of Australians regularly receive a Christmas gift they don’t like despite the fact that 69% of Australians rated their present buying ability as being above average.

The survey revealed that unpopular, but regularly received, gifts include body and bath products, books, dressing gowns, slippers, socks and underwear; with teenagers particularly hating receiving clothes selected by their parents, wives and girlfriends turning their noses up at kitchen appliances from their partners and dads understandably rating socks as “run of the mill”.

With Australians getting an average of one to two unwanted gifts every Christmas, and the typical amount spent for each member on their immediate family averaging over $100, the amount of unwanted gifts is proving costly!

The survey findings point to both a miscommunication between different family generations as well as a lack of time to devote to Christmas shopping. 74% of respondents for example stated they would still be shopping the week before Christmas.

With so many Australians receiving unwanted gifts, buying a gift card is a great way to ensure your loved one receives something they really want. It might also save you from some uncomfortable silences this Christmas.  The survey also revealed the recent economic downturn is expected to have a direct impact on Christmas spending this year, with over half (54%) claiming they will spend less this Christmas.

This Christmas Australians will be closely watching their finances, which is one of the reasons a gift card is an ideal present. Not only do people get what they want, it also means your hard earned money is not going to waste. It’s a win-win situation for everybody.

The majority of Australians have given gift cards previously for Christmas and special occasions (86%) stating the two most common reasons being that it gives the recipient the freedom to choose what they want (74%) and they didn’t know what to buy (58%). However most (65%) Australians would prefer to give a gift voucher that can be used at a variety of stores rather than one that can only be redeemed at one store. In turn most Australians would prefer to receive a gift card that can be used at different stores (53%).