New survey unveils the best and worst gifts given by the British public to unsuspecting friends and family
A novelty belly button brush
- black bin bags
- a novelty ‘grow your own boyfriend ‘ kit
- a half eaten box of chocolates
- a toy floor sweeper
- a DVD about slugs
These are just some of the many strange presents that friends and family have given people over the years and are among the fascinating findings of a new survey into the best and worst gifts by Wickes for Business in conjunction with Edenred.
What is a bad gift?
When asked what defined a bad gift, 57 per cent said the worst mistake was ‘having no consideration for personal taste’ such as giving a woman ‘Bridget Jones style’ underwear or a man’s tee shirt or items they knew the recipient wouldn’t want or use including a kitchen apron for someone that didn’t cook and even a ‘My little Pony’ bag for a 15 year old girl. This was followed by ‘giving something that is useless’ – the view of 25 per cent of those asked.
Office stationery featured heavily on the list of worst gifts with many respondents stating that they had received items such as rulers, staplers, a mouse-mat and even an A4 lever arch file.
Usefulness and sentimental value
When asked to define a good gift, many respondents displayed a highly practical streak, with 45 per cent saying that it was ‘usefulness’, then next in contrast, they showed a softer side of their personality, with 24 per cent saying they liked a gift to have ‘sentimental value’, and 22 per cent saying it should be ‘something they will want to keep.’
Recipients were particularly appreciative of gifts where the giver had given real thought and consideration to what the person would actually like. Whilst some items that made the list were expensive such as a car, gaming consoles, festival tickets and iPads others had less monetary value but were still priceless to the individual recipients including one respondent
whose father said he would put down her new flooring, another said photos of her daughter and someone else mentioned a homemade birthday cake.
Best gifts
The most popular choice when it came to the best gift was vouchers and gift cards, which was chosen by 19 per cent of respondents, quickly followed by jewellery (18 per cent). Holidays and travel (17 per cent), clothes and accessories (11 per cent) and home and garden products (9 per cent). Cars, bikes, guitars and power tools were also very welcomed as gifts.
Natalie Vescia of Wickes for Business commented: “Just as we are going Christmas shopping, these results give valuable insights that will help many people to please their family and avoid disasters when choosing presents.
“Traditional gifts, whether it’s a dressing gown, socks, towels or even shower gels, soaps and candles are no longer popular with recipients, with many preferring to choose their own. A high proportion of recipients (69%) highlighted the importance of getting a gift that would be deemed useful or practical gift. It’s easy to see why so many recipients have chosen gift cards and vouchers as the best present as it puts the purchasing power back in their own hands and getting what they most want, desire or need.”
