Listen: the thought does count

Whether it’s a Lynx gift set, a naff pair of socks or a Secret Santa present that’s remained in its box all these years – we’ve all received a dud Christmas present and have been guilty of giving a dud gift to someone too.

But when it comes to our loved ones and our relationships with them, how important is it to buy a gift that has some thought to it?

The type of gifts we receive holds a lot of merit when it comes to how we perceive the strength of our connections. More than a quarter of women (26%) believe that their partner knowing what their favourite brands are is a sign of a strong relationship, according to new research from One4all Favourites Gift Cards.

Similarly, when it comes to our relationships with our parents, we believe that them knowing our favourite foods (33%), hobby (20%), and TV show (16%) are amongst the top things that signify a strong relationship with them. More than 1 in 5 (21%) of us even admit to feeling closer to our friends and family when we receive a present from them that we actually like – with that figure rising to more than a quarter (26%) amongst 16 to 24-year-olds.

Aston spoke to relationship expert Sam Owen and Aoife Davey from One4all Favourties Gift Cards to discuss the research, explain what it is important to know, remember from your relationships and connections with your loved ones and explain why knowing our loved ones’ favourite is important when it comes to gift-giving.

Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash