LONDON, December 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

• £2.4bn unwanted Christmas gifts 2011
• Group gifting increases 55%
• 65% group gifts 2012 for tablets or laptops
• 3x unwanted gifts = value of iPod as group gift

In 2011 Britons received an estimated £2.4 billion worth of unwanted Christmas gifts (HuffingtonPost).  Auction sites like eBay and Swapshop attract huge amounts of traffic during the post-Christmas period as people dispose of unwanted items. But all this could change as group gifting becomes an increasingly popular way to reduce Christmas waste and help us get gifts we really want.

Online group gifting service, Shareagift.com reported a 55% increase in the number of people collecting funds for group Christmas presents for 2012 - over 65% of those created for either tablets or laptop computers.  As expensive consumer electronics continue to top the gift list, economic forces are clearly influencing this trend as consumers look for affordable ways to give coveted items.  

The explosion of social media over the last few years has meant we have many more tools to help choose desirable gifts and share the cost with friends.  While sites like The Hunch and Pinterest give us greater insight into what people want, online group gifting services like Shareagift make it easy for friends and family worldwide to chip in together.

For parents group gifting makes that must-have present for the kids more affordable. For other members of the family it means you can ask for the gift you really want without feeling you're asking too much. Last year's survey by Gumtree concluded that around £48 per person was wasted on unwanted gifts. The value of just three of those unwanted gifts as a group gift could get you an iPod!

Group gifting means families that can't be together at Christmas can still give together, and as the shift to holiday shopping online increases, gifts can be bought from and sent to anywhere in the world with ease. So from postage and packaging to pennies in our pockets, group gifting provides a perfect solution to avoid the waste and financial pressure so often associated with the holiday season.

Notes: Shareagift is a web service that enables groups of friends to collect money online. The business includes the consumer site Shareagift.com and a social plugin offering its group buying technology to online retailers.

Contact:

Tessa Pettman tessa@shareagift.com, +44(0)20-3204-1130.