Neighbourhood network Nextdoor is launching a new and innovative way to shop for Christmas gifts this year with the UK’s biggest Toy Adoption Service. There are over 6,000 toys and bikes on offer as it reveals that almost half of parents around the UK are considering gifting a preloved toy this year due to rising costs.

Over half (60%) of British parents feel like they’ve got no option but to make their children happy with presents this Christmas but with prices on the rise, 15% of parents are planning to spend up to £150 less this year to help keep costs down.

A further 40% are also considering gifting pre-loved toys, with parents in London (48%) and Birmingham (46%) leading the way in opting for these gifts over brand new toys, according to Nextdoor’s findings.

The average UK parent spends £420 on Christmas gifts1, however it has been revealed that a quarter of children can’t tell the difference between a toy that is brand new or preloved and even if they could, almost half of parents (47%) believe their child wouldn’t mind anyway.

Nextdoor’s For Sale & Free section has over 6,000 toys and bikes, waiting to go to good homes across the country. Most items on Nextdoor are sold locally, limiting the need for car usage and postage and delivery costs. This means families can shop sustainably and source everything they need for Christmas locally, without buying brand new items.

As well as thousands of free items, Nextdoor users can bag a bargain with neighbours selling items at a fraction of the retail cost, with toys in near-new condition listed at less than half the retail price! Users are currently offering items such as ride-on train toys for £5, Hamley’s branded toys for less than a quarter of the original price, and even a £119.99 Fisher Price Baby Jumperoo for just £20.

Laura Roche, Managing Director at Nextdoor UK, said, “A lot of our neighbours look to their community for support all year round, but Christmas can be tough for families and more so, in the current climate as people try to navigate the rising cost of living.

“We felt that this year it was more important than ever to look for ways to support families, online and in real life to highlight the value of community and really make a difference.”

That’s why this year, Nextdoor is encouraging communities across the UK to host their own Toy Adoption Service in the run up to Christmas with the development of an online toolkit which hosts a simple ‘how to’ guide, toy tag designs and adoption certificates to print off.

All families need to do to get involved with the UK’s biggest Toy Adoption Service is download Nextdoor.co.uk and head to https://nextdoor.app.link/Toy-Adoption.