Welsh shoppers urged to stop lazy gifting this Christmas – Love2shop study

An appeal to Welsh Shoppers this Christmas – Don’t gift-type! 

YouGov poll reveals Welsh shoppers’ lazy & wasteful gifting habits

Gift-typing habits across Wales – a snapshot:

·       Third of Welsh consumers have been gift-typed aka given the same or similar gift

·       40 per cent admit they gift-type loved ones often

·       Welsh shoppers say gift-typing is ‘lazy’ and a ‘waste of money’  

·       44% would prefer freedom of a gift card and physical gift combined 

·       Half of all women are guilty of gift-typing loved ones (50%) 

Leading gift card and voucher brand Love2shop is urging Welsh shoppers to end the scourge of “lazy, wasteful and boring” gift-typing this Christmas and to give the gift of choice instead.

‘Gift-typing’ is when people regularly gift friends, family and work mates the same or similar presents year after year – even when the recipient has clearly outgrown the interest or item.

The lazy gifts could relate to a one-time hobby, a childhood fascination with a well-known toy like sheep or Lego, or perhaps expressing support for a rugby team, but it means a lifetime of repetitive gifts from otherwise well-intentioned loved ones. 

And according to a new YouGov poll commissioned by Love2shop, there are millions of innocent victims across the UK, resulting in thousands of unwanted gifts and multiples of similar or the same items.

To make their point, the brand is campaigning to #EndGiftTyping in a fun, charity parody style appeal, with TV and radio ads airing now and in the run-up to Christmas across the UK.

It comes as the YouGov poll of over 2000 respondents revealed that a third of Welsh consumers have been gift-typed, with 44% of women the biggest “victims”, compared to 34% of men.

Within the Welsh findings, women are the worst culprits for gift-typing, with half admitting they regularly gift-type loved ones, compared to 34% of men.  

The motivation behind gift-typing is often well-intentioned initially but then is largely down to laziness and time pressures, with gift-typers assuming the recipient’s tastes have not changed.

However, the majority of ‘victims’ of gift-typing responded that the habit is lazy and “a waste of money”, with over 1 in 10 Welsh respondents admitting it is difficult to say a sincere ‘thanks’ and show appreciation when gift-typed (11%). 

According the poll, a resounding 1 in 3 (34%) are gift-typed related to a hobby such as baking and crafts, often inspired by enthusiasm for shows like Bake Off, with over the 55s the most gift-typed in this category (55%).

Joint second most common gift-typing categories were: gifts relating to entertainment such as favourite TV shows like Strictly, Bake Off, Top Gear or a favourite band, alongside gifts related to health and beauty such as bath sets, cosmetics, aftershave and perfume (13%). 

The third most popular category of gift-typing related to sports with almost one in five men gift-typed (18%) in this category.

Instead of gift-typing a resounding 44% of Welsh consumers love a combination of gift cards and original physical gifts, with 1 in 10 preferring just gift cards – men have a slight preference over women for the ease of a gift card (11% compared to 8%). 

Katherine Scott, director of marketing at Love2shop, said: “Our festive campaign, with its tongue in cheek charity appeal theme, is designed to get shoppers to stop and think before they purchase the same, predictable themed gifts yet again this year. We urge Welsh shoppers to End Gift-Typing and embrace the fun of freedom with Love2shop.”

Have you been gift-typed or know someone who has? There is help!

Check out the Love2shop range of products and give the gift of freedom this Christmas. https://www.love2shop.co.uk/end-gift-typing