50% of Brits resigned to buying ‘second choice’ gifts

Supply chain fears hang over Christmas with 50% of Brits resigned to buying ‘second choice’ gifts

It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but 30% of UK adults struggle to find presents for loved ones, according to data by digital gift card company Prezzee. This comes as 4 out of 10 (40%) Brits are concerned that supply chain issues will make it harder to find the ideal Christmas gifts this year, with over half stating they’ll buy another present if the one they want is out of stock.

Despite this, 2 out of 5 (42%) were very surprised to learn that £42m of unwanted gifts end up in landfill.

Out of all the groups surveyed, Gen-Z struggled the most to buy the right Christmas gifts, with two thirds (69%) finding it difficult. One factor behind this may be the younger generation’s determination for a green Christmas with almost three out of four (72%) being concerned about the environmental impact of gift giving and nearly half (48%) say these concerns will impact what they buy at Christmas.

These factors are causing gift card popularity to soar among the younger generation with 42% preferring to receive gift cards over cash, while 57% would rather give gift cards over cash.

James Malia, MD of Prezzee UK continued: “Prezzee aims to solve problems around the gift of giving like ‘What if they don’t like it?’ or ‘What if they already have it?’ whilst still being personal. Christmas is a tough time for indecisive gift givers and with the pressure on to be more thoughtful, Prezzee creates ‘wow’ moments through photos, audio and personal video messages to ensure a human connection even if you can’t be present. You can also set a specific date for the card to arrive, so you can save the surprise for Christmas morning.”

Malia continued: “We aim to make the gifting experience smoother for the giver, the purchaser and even the planet.”

Prezzee customers can choose which retailer they redeem the cards at right up until the last minute and don’t have to worry about leaving their gift card at home as it’s only ever as far away from you as your phone is. Prezzee cards can be redeemed at over 120 UK retailers including Ticketmaster, Cineworld, ASOS, Notonthehighstreet, John Lewis, Pizza Express, Deliveroo and UberEats.

As every card is digital Prezzee is an environmentally friendly choice that requires no plastic or paper. Since the brand’s inception in 2014, over 105,000kg of CO2 has been saved by not making plastic cards.