‘Emergency presents’ can save your blushes
THERE are only three shopping days to go until Christmas – so that’s plenty of time to get out there and buy any last-minute presents.
Or perhaps you’re in the embarrassing situation where you’ve just received a gift from someone who you haven’t actually bought anything for.
It’s a more common situation that you might think.
Research from home interior specialists Hillarys suggests more than half of us admit to not buying a present for someone who has bought us something.
Nearly 40 per cent of us use the little white lie that we “left your present at home and will give it to you the next time we see you”.
Of course, what follows is a rush to the nearest shop to buy something.
A better option might be to have a supply of “emergency presents” at home for just this scenario – and more than 20 per cent of those questioned by Hillarys said that’s exactly what they do. The average amount spent on an emergency present is £38.
When asked what they did with the presents if they were not required, more than half said that they would just keep them in case they were needed at some point in the future.
Twenty per cent admitted that they kept the present for their own use.
A very upright 16 per cent of the respondents revealed they donated them to charity.
Tara Hall, spokeswoman for www.hillarys.co.uk, said: “Emergency presents are a great way to avoid awkward situations that may leave someone feeling offended, and they don’t have to cost a lot.”
The consumers questioned were asked if they had ever given a gift to someone that they felt did not like it, and two-thirds admitted they had.
When asked how they knew that the recipient did not like the present, more than half of respondents said their body language gave it away, while a further 30 per cent said that the recipient had told them they did not like the gift.
The remaining 13 per cent found out from someone else after they had given the gift.