Should we feel guilty for wanting to resell our Christmas presents? This practice, sometimes badly perceived, is considered by a growing number of French people. And millions of ads will be published on specialized sites after December 25.
Is it worth torturing your mind to find the perfect Christmas present? According to several studies and surveys, one in two French people would consider reselling what they have received. Yes, this gift received with a smile, accompanied by a “thank you”, will end up in the hands of a dark stranger on a used sales site.
According to eBay estimates, up to 6.5 million French people could well put back into the second-hand sales circuit what they found under the tree. An astonishing figure which hides another: 381 million euros would be spent on gifts which do not make people happy. The site also expects 300,000 new ads to appear on Saturday, December 25 on the platform, an increase of 50% compared to the previous year. They should be three million by January 3.
The Rakuten – IPSOS barometer estimates that 70% of 25-34 year olds have already resold a gift or are considering doing so. The main reasons given are that it does not please, or is not useful to its recipient. Only 10% say they did it to make money. The product categories most likely to be resold would be technological products (smartphones, game consoles, video games, etc.), multimedia and cultural products (books, DVDs, vinyls, etc.), or even games and toys like Pokémon and Lego merchandise.
Stay discreet …
Rakuten’s analysis also tells us that among the French who have considered reselling gifts without having finally taken action, it is scruples that remain the main obstacle (29% of respondents), ahead of preferring the gift. (28%) and forgetting to take care of it (24%).
Acceptance of this gesture is progressing: more than a third of French people (36%) would say they were understanding if they learned that a gift they had offered was being resold. It must be said that he makes some great anecdotes. The eBay and Kantar study nevertheless indicates that this acceptance requires context. Thus, 42% of French people say they are hurt if their gift is sold to spoil someone else and 39% if their gift is sold to buy something to eat or drink. Obviously, 42% of the winnings would be saved.
Like eBay, Rakuten France expects 4.5 million products to go up for sale on its platform between December 25 and January 2, a 15% growth from the previous year. Merry Christmas !
Methodology :
The Rakuten – IPSOS study was carried out on a national sample of 1099 individuals representative of the French population aged 16 and over. The survey was conducted online in November 2021.