BRITS will spend an average of £200 LESS on Christmas presents this year – and will buy more second-hand gifts than ever before, a study shows. 

The uncertainty brought by the coronavirus pandemic has made people reflect more on the meaning of Christmas, and two in five are planning to cut back by more than a third the £550 they spent last year. 

Research for Oxfam shows a remarkable shift in attitudes towards second-hand gifting, with almost half saying they are considering buying second-hand presents, and more than 70 percent saying they are shopping more sustainably than five years ago.    

And they need not worry that it will upset friends and family, because a whopping three-quarters of all Brits say they would be happy to receive a pre-owned gift. Only 9% say they would feel offended, compared to 38% who say they would have been offended if they’d received a second-hand gift 10 years ago.    

The majority of adults said they care much more about spending time with family than splurging on gifts, as it was revealed that every year the average Brit gets two presents they never even open.  

Forty per cent of the 2,000 people in the study say they will cut back not only on how much they spend this Christmas, but on how many people they buy for.   

The study showed 63 percent would appreciate the effort of someone treasure hunting  in charity shops  for a hidden gem to give them, while 53 percent said it would please them to know that the gift was more sustainable and environmentally friendly.  

And as it turns out, men are more likely to say they’ll be spending more on gifts this year (20% vs 12% of women), while women are more likely to say they’ll be spending less (43% vs 32% of men)…    

And for those looking to gift second-hand, the 35-44s are your best bet, being the most likely to say they would be grateful (37%), happy (33%), and pleased (28%) to receive a second-hand gift for Christmas this year.  

Joining us to speak about the second-hand gems Brits can pick up, and give tips for an eco-friendly Christmas are Katya Jones & Oxfam’s Sustainable Shopping Expert, Jill Hocking