CEWE’s Christmas Gift Guide: The Best and Worst Presents Unwrapped
Discover what over 2,000 Brits love and hate about their Christmas gifts PLUS our list on how to give a great gift this festive season!
Christmas is a magical time of year. Alongside putting up decorations and eating a meal with family and friends, giving gifts is one of the most popular ways people celebrate Christmas in the UK. And with so many people exchanging presents throughout the festive period, there can be a lot of pressure around choosing something that people will value beyond Christmas Day. So, what do people want to get at Christmas and how do you choose a gift that someone will actually like?
We surveyed over 2000 UK adults who celebrate Christmas. We then used these results to create our gifting report, digging into topics like what people consider the best or worst Christmas presents, how getting a disappointing gift can have an impact on our celebrations and what people think about personalised photo gifts.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at what people think about gift giving at Christmas.
Find in this article
What makes a good Christmas gift?
To get a better understanding of what people really appreciate at Christmastime, we asked our respondents to vote on the best and worst gifts they’ve received.
The top-rated gifts included clothes (31%), perfume or aftershave (24%), jewellery (24%) and an experience (21%).
Personalised gifts, such as photo books and calendars, are particularly popular, with 40% saying they are their favourite kind of present, and 20% admitting they haven’t received one but would like to.
These top gifts reflect the fact that sentimental gifts that show someone has really put some thought behind them are people’s favourite things to get for Christmas. For example, receiving clothes or tickets for an experience shows that someone has chosen things that align with what you like or they know you’re interested in. And gifts like perfume or jewellery appeal to those who want something sentimental, reminding you of the person who gave it to you every time you use it.
To highlight the results of the survey, CEWE has partnered with actress, Lacey Turner, to explore the dos and don’ts of gifting in the run-up to Christmas. “I’ll be honest; I’ve received a few disappointing gifts - like the time I received a football shirt - but I’ve also been lucky enough to receive some truly meaningful ones, especially the personalised gifts from my children. Over the years, I’ve learned that the best presents are the ones that come from the heart and are filled with thought and care."
Bad gifts are impersonal, last-minute or thoughtless.
On the other hand, the worst gifts included novelty or single-use items (26%), something people already have (22%), a pair of socks (15%) and an ugly Christmas jumper (15%). But what makes these items such bad gifts?
Our survey respondents said that gifts were the most disappointing when they didn’t match their interests (36%), were impersonal (20%) or felt last-minute or thoughtless (18%). These items are just that! A novelty or single-use item probably doesn’t have much sentimental value and likely won’t bring joy when looked at again. An item someone already has shows the gifter hasn’t taken their interests into consideration - and a pair of socks or ugly Christmas jumper are hardly creative!
Also on the list were things like toys people were too old for, games for a console they don’t own and a piece of fruit - all things which again show that the gifter hasn’t really taken what the recipient might want into account.
Who is the best at gifting?
So, who can we rely on for thoughtful gifts this Christmas?
According to our survey, mothers came out on top as the best gift givers, with over one third of people saying that mums give the best presents. And with people spending the most amount of time shopping for Christmas gifts for their significant others, it’s no surprise that partners came in second, with 28% saying they were the best gift givers.
Since these are often the people who know us best, it makes sense that these groups were picked as the top gifters. After all, it’s usually our mums and partners who tend to pay the most attention to our likes and interests, meaning that when it comes to gifting, they have a pretty good idea of what we might want.
On the flip side, dads and friends were voted the worst gift givers - with 15% of the votes each, but this doesn’t mean that they don’t know us at all.
Whether it’s the fact that men are more likely to leave their Christmas shopping till the last minute, or because only 5% of people said they’d spend the most time looking for a gift for a friend, there are plenty of reasons someone might be a ‘bad’ gift giver. And while we’ve all received a questionable gift from family and friends, the important thing is that they’ve taken the time to get us something in the first place!
But what happens when we do get those dreaded awkward or unwanted presents?
What’s the impact of a bad gift?
While it may seem trivial, getting a bad gift can have an impact on how we feel on the big day itself.
Almost 75% of people have been disappointed by a gift, showing that getting a bad present does impact how we feel. In fact, according to our survey, 61% of people felt getting a bad gift negatively affected their Christmas, ranging from leading to awkward exchanges to putting a damper on the day. Additionally, out of those 61%, 15% said getting a bad gift made them annoyed because they put effort into buying presents for others.
This just goes to show the importance people place on well thought out Christmas gifts. The fact that just under 70% of people buy unique Christmas presents each year - rather than getting the same thing - again highlights that people think it’s important to put in some time and effort when buying presents.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. While getting a bad Christmas present can have knock on effects, over 1 in 3 people said it didn’t affect their Christmas at all. Additionally, just under 1 in 6 people find the funny side of getting a bad present, saying they found it comical how bad the gift was. 11% of people also said they’d make a joke to lighten the mood if they did not like a present. So, even if you do get an unwanted surprise in your stocking, that doesn’t mean it’ll ruin your celebrations.
Christmas gift ideas: how to give a great gift
Even though not everyone will be disappointed, you don’t want to risk giving a bad gift and derailing your Christmas celebrations. To make sure you don’t miss the mark, we’ve come up with a gifting checklist for you to follow:
Keep it a surprise - around 1 in 5 people most value when a gift is a surprise, so try and keep your present a secret until they’ve unwrapped it! Not only does this make things more exciting on the day itself, but you’ll also get to create a memorable moment when it’s revealed.
Go thoughtful over novelty - We already know that novelty gifts were voted among the worst presented, but our survey respondents took things one step further, with 75% saying they value sentimental Christmas gifts. This again shows that thoughtful or nostalgic gifts are the way to go. If you need some inspiration, why not link your present back to a memory you shared together?
Avoid single-use gifts - Similarly, emotional gifts that can bring back happy moments time and time again are likely to go down better than single-use novelty items, with 15% of people saying they like presents linked to special memories. 1 in 10 people also prefer practical presents that they can reuse. A personalised photo calendar is a good mix of the two, combining nostalgia and practicality. In fact, 40% of respondents said they found gifts like this very impactful.
Tie it back to their interests - Almost 1 in 4 value gifts that consider their likes, so try and pick a present that lines up with their interests. You could get them a new bottle of their favourite perfume or aftershave or tickets to an experience that aligns with their hobbies.
Don’t skip the wrapping - If you’re a last-minute Christmas shopper, it can be easy to forget about the presentation of your present. But, over 60% of people say a nice presentation makes for a better gift and enhances the experience. So, make sure to leave yourself enough time to wrap it up and make it look good. A handwritten Christmas card makes for a good finishing touch.
Add a personal touch - Our final tip is to make something truly unique with a personalised gift. Personalised photo gifts are ideal presents, showing that you’ve put in thought, time and effort to choose the right pictures and make something sentimental. But don’t just take our word for it. According to our survey, 2 in 5 people love receiving personalised gifts and they came in the top 10 of our best gifts list.
Choosing a gift that follows at least one of these tips means you’ve got a good chance of getting the recipient something they’ll really like.
"The sentimental value is the most important”
Finding the perfect Christmas gift can be a challenge. While it can be tempting to buy that novelty gift at the last-minute or go with a safe, practical present, our survey has shown that 75% of the British public place the most importance on the sentimental value of their gifts.
So, choosing something nostalgic or tied to a special moment or memory means you’re more likely to get someone a gift they’ll really enjoy. People also appreciate gifts that show you’ve put in some time and effort, whether that’s through creating the present itself or wrapping it nicely.
And what better way to show you care than with a CEWE PHOTOBOOK? This unique gift requires plenty of thought to pick the right pictures and weaves in the sentimental aspect we all love in a Christmas gift. You even have the option to add a personalised slipcase and wow them with the presentation.
Still need a bit of inspiration? Try our gift quiz or browse our stocking fillers for more photo gift ideas.
This Christmas, make it memorable with CEWE.
About the research
The research was carried out online by Research Without Barriers – RWB. All surveys were conducted between 17th October 2024 and 21st October 2024. The sample comprised 2,006 UK adults. All research conducted adheres to the UK Market Research Society (MRS) code of conduct (2023). RWB is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act (2018).
Enjoy 10% off Europe’s most loved photo book
Be the first to know about new products, competitions and inspiration.
- Plus, receive a 10% welcome discount on your first CEWE PHOTOBOOK.
You can unsubscribe from our newsletters and postal mail at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of any newsletter or by logging into your account.
Please check your email
We have sent you an email with a confirmation link to complete your registration.
Please confirm your subscription by clicking the link in the email you will receive shortly.
You can cancel your subscription at any time by clicking the unsubscribe button, or by changing your preferences in your Account.
We're sorry
Unfortunately, an error has occurred
Unfortunately, we were not able to sign you up for our newsletter. Please try again later.
