Listen: Strictly’s Katya Jones on second hand gifts

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.

Aston spoke to Strictly Come Dancing professional Katya Jones and Jill Hocking, sustainable shopping expert from Oxfam to speak about the second-hand gems Brits can pick up, and give tips for an eco-friendly Christmas.

Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash