Australia’s festive season is a minefield of unwanted gifts and last-minute panic buys, with the latest research revealing New England locals are just as likely to give – or receive – a dud Christmas present.
A new national survey commissioned by Team Global Express, one of Australia’s largest logistics companies, has revealed that 68 per cent of Australians have received unwanted or disappointing gifts, prompting a wave of regifting and returns in December. In NSW, the number is even higher, with 69 per cent of residents reporting gift disappointment.
Women bear the brunt of bad gifts
Women are faring worse than men when it comes to disappointing presents – 73 per cent of NSW women said they’d received a dud gift, compared to 63 per cent of men.
And it’s not just what’s under the tree that’s going awry. The survey found that nearly half of Australians are making last-minute gift decisions from bed (46 per cent), and 10 per cent are shopping from the toilet – figures that hold true across NSW as well. In fact, NSW men (12 per cent) are more likely than women (8 per cent) to make their final festive purchases from the loo.
“We’ve discovered some truly crappy gift decisions are being made from the toilet,” said Andrew Wildblood, Chief Commercial Officer at Team Global Express.
“Ten per cent of people are literally flushing their money away on presents which’ll end up regifted or returned. Whether you’re shopping from bed, the supermarket, or the bathroom, slow down and think about what the person actually wants.”
Top gifts most likely to be returned
If you’re shopping for New England friends or family, steer clear of these commonly returned items:
- Clothing in the wrong size or style (63 per cent)
- Ill-fitting or mismatched footwear (57 per cent)
- Outdated physical media or incompatible video games (47 per cent)
- Cheap perfume or aftershave (48 per cent)
- Novelty gifts (41 per cent)
- Random kitchen gadgets like banana peelers (37 per cent)
- Self-help books (31 per cent)
These trends mirror the national picture, with Australians united in their distaste for impractical, impersonal, or irrelevant gifts.
Regifting on the rise
Nearly half of NSW residents (51 per cent) admit they’ve regifted an item, with 9 per cent doing it more than once. That puts NSW near the top of the national regifting rankings – only South Australia (57 per cent) ranks higher.
Nationally, Gen Z leads the way, with 58 per cent admitting to regifting, compared to 55 per cent of Millennials and just 34 per cent of Baby Boomers.
“We’ll be moving millions of parcels across the country this Christmas, delivering the good, the bad, and sometimes the very ugly,” said Wildblood.
“Our mission is to help Aussies spend more time giving and receiving this festive season, instead of returning and regifting.”
In-store shopping still leads, but online is growing
Despite the rise in digital shopping habits, the survey found that 87 per cent of NSW residents still prefer to shop in-store for Christmas. Specifically, 71 per cent shop at malls or centres, and 61 per cent support local or independent shops, a positive sign for New England’s small retailers.
However, online shopping is strong in NSW, with 68 per cent of residents using digital platforms for festive gift buying, more than any other state.
Most NSW online shoppers favour:
- Retailers’ websites (55 per cent)
- Online marketplaces like Etsy or Facebook Marketplace (27 per cent)
This digital shift is contributing to the spike in late-night and last-minute shopping, with people making quick decisions from bed (46 per cent) or even the bathroom (10 per cent).
Final thoughts for New England gift givers
With just weeks to go before Christmas, the message is clear: give thoughtfully, shop early, and avoid the classic gifting pitfalls.
“Whether shopping in-store or online, a little extra thought at the checkout could save your gift from Santa’s sad sack and making the long-haul return journey in January,” said Wildblood.
From dodgy perfumes to ill-fitting shoes, Australians, and New Englanders, can all do better this festive season.
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