Wish Gifting Survey Reveals Majority Have Mastered the Forced Smile in Response to Bad Gifts

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12/01/2022 - 09:00 AM

Political Items, Weight Loss Gifts and Last-Minute Purchases Amongst Worst Gifts to Receive; Majority Believe They Are Good Gift-Givers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ContextLogic Inc. (d/b/a Wish) (NASDAQ: WISH) today released findings from its global survey on holiday gifting and found that, while a majority of people have received terrible gifts in the past, most feel they are not guilty of bad gift giving themselves. The global survey explored consumer insights on giving and receiving gifts, along with consumers’ reactions when presented with a bad one.

In the U.S., 72% of respondents indicated they have received a gift that was so disappointing or weird that they were confused why it was given to them at all. Nearly 40% of those said they have received gifts so bad they felt insulted, and another nearly 25% said it led to an argument.

But after years of receiving questionable gifts, most Americans believe they have mastered the art of the fake smile with nearly 80% believing they are good at showing fake enthusiasm when opening a bad present.

“That moment when you open a gift is some of the most nerve-wracking seconds of the holidays. Will you love it? Will you hate it? What were they thinking? Is your face giving away how awful it is?” said Tarun Jain, Chief Product Officer & Chief Customer Officer at Wish. “At Wish, we know how hard it can be to find just the right gift. That’s why we try to provide a world of discovery for you to find the perfect gift for anyone.”

While responses varied on which gifts constituted a bad gift, the biggest agreement was on gifts without any thought behind them, as more than one-third said one of the worst types of gift to receive is one that was purchased at the last minute.

Amongst those surveyed, the worst gift ideas include:

Defective items bought at a discount (28%)
Fruitcake (23%)
Weight loss items (21%)
Political gifts (20%)
Out-of-style clothing (16%)
Cheap chocolates (13%)
Christmas tie (13%)
A scale (12%)
Knockoff luxury items (10%)
Gym membership (10%)

A majority of respondents say they receive at least two bad gifts a year, and that they would rather not receive a gift at all than be given one they hate. And to nobody’s surprise, the biggest culprit of bad gifting - across the globe - was a partner or spouse.

But while most see themselves as experts in receiving bad gifts, roughly 75% said they believe they have never given an unsatisfactory gift.

Additional key findings of the survey include:

In the U.S., 20% of people regift a bad gift rather than return it
In Spain, 45% of people have hated a present so much they were left speechless
In Germany, 35% of parents said their kids have been ungrateful about a gift
In the U.K, 23% of bad gifts come from a person’s in-laws
Globally, more than one-third of recipients feel obligated to wear or display a bad gift or post it on social channels to the gift giver doesn’t feel bad

“Giving and receiving gifts should be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved, and at Wish, we love being a one-stop shop to easily find great gift options,” continues Jain. “From sporting goods to beauty to homegoods, and everything in between, the world of Wish has the gift you need so you can give your fake smile a rest.”

Wish surveyed 6,143 people across Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States in October 2022.

To learn more about Wish, visit www.wish.com.

About Wish

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wish is one of the largest and fastest growing global ecommerce platforms, connecting millions of value-conscious consumers in over 100 countries to more than half a million merchants around the world. Wish combines technology and data science capabilities and an innovative discovery-based mobile shopping experience to create a highly-visual, entertaining, and personalized shopping experience for its users. For more information about the company or to download the Wish mobile app, visit Wish mobile app, visit www.wish.com or follow @Wish on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok or @WishShopping on Twitter and YouTube.

Methodology:

Wish commissioned Perspectus Global in October 2022 to conduct a survey on the consumer mindsets toward and experiences with bad gifts given and received during the holidays. A total of 6,143 respondents aged 18-60+ were surveyed across the U.S. (2,070), U.K. (2,021), Spain (1,029), and Germany (1,023).