Over 110 Million Americans Admit to Reselling or Regifting Christmas Presents, Survey Reveals

Christmas is a magical time of year for both giving and receiving, and while it’s nice to give, most of us would probably admit it’s better to receive. Except when you excitedly tear open the wrapping paper to find something that couldn’t be less ‘you’ if it tried.

Sometimes people are in a rush, or thoughtless, or genuinely believe you will absolutely love this horrific gift they have given you. When that happens, there’s only one thing you can do (apart from offering a watery smile to the giver and saying a half-hearted thank you) — that’s to re-wrap it and give it to someone else or sell it to someone who seems to genuinely want it.

Despite inflation cooling in 2024, prices have remained stubbornly high, whereby Americans may have a real financial incentive to pass on unwanted gifts. This got us thinking about how big the regifting economy actually is — surely lots of us do this every year? 

We surveyed 3,000 respondents and asked them whether they plan on offloading unwanted gifts this Christmas. Well, 43% of respondents (or over 110 million Americans when applied to the country’s adult population) admit to regifting or reselling unwanted presents, which results in an incredible regifting economy of over $11 billion (based on an average spend on gifts of $104.50 per person^*). 

Broken down by state, California came out on top, with a whopping regifting economy of $1.3 billion — owing to its larger population of nearly 40 million people. 

However, proportionally, Rhode Islanders emerged as the biggest resellers of Christmas gifts. 83% of respondents here admit they will have no reservations in doing so this festive season. Therefore, the size of the Ocean State’s regifting economy is $74,443,219. Rhode Islanders are followed by Nevadans and New Yorkers. 

Here is a look at how all of the states stacked up based on percentage of regifting:

In addition, we found that nearly three-quarters of us (71%) have received a gift that we immediately knew wasn’t suitable. This could be anything from a shapeless sweater to a diet book (rude!) or a sickly, sweet-smelling toiletries gift set. 

However, there’s a gift out there for everyone, and whether it’s surreptitiously re-wrapped to pass on to someone more ‘deserving’ or sold on the open market, we convince ourselves that the offending item is going to a good home. 

Strangely, the survey found that nearly half of us (48%) have felt regret or guilt after regifting or selling a present, perhaps knowing deep down that the giver gave it with the best intentions (unless they, too, of course, were regifting…). Meanwhile, 38% think it is morally wrong to sell or regift a present they have received, which seems a bit strong. 

Finally, an unlucky 48% have been caught regifting or selling a present — you just have to be more cunning about it in the future!

“There is absolutely no shame in rehoming or, in some circumstances returning or selling something that didn’t work for you,” said Erica Sandberg, a consumer finance expert with BadCredit.org. “In fact, it can be the right thing to do! The item doesn’t go to waste, and you can save some money when you do your own gift giving.” 

Erica continued: ”You do have to be careful, however. The person who gave you the item may ask how you’re enjoying it. Although it’s tempting to tell a white lie, your best bet is to be graciously truthful. It may come as a relief, too! With more than 100 million Americans having done the same, odds are that person has been in your position.”

We carefully selected 3,000 respondents from a geographically representative online panel of double-opt-in members. This selection was further tailored to meet the precise criteria required for each unique survey. Throughout the survey, we designed questions to carefully screen and authenticate respondents, guaranteeing the survey’s alignment with the ideal participants.

^*This survey data was combined with publicly available data on adult populations and the average price per gift in 2024. The average spend on gifts per person ($104.50) was calculated as an average amount spent on kids ($117) and partners ($92).

To ensure the integrity of our data collection, we employed an array of data quality methods. Alongside conventional measures such as digital fingerprinting, bot checks, geo-verification, and speeding detection, each response underwent a thorough review by a dedicated team member to ensure quality and contextual accuracy. Our commitment extended to open-ended responses, subjecting them to scrutiny for gibberish answers and plagiarism detection.