On December 25th, eBay recorded 340,000 listings of unwanted gifts in France, marking a 13% increase compared to the same time last year, and anticipated 600,000 listings by the evening of December 26. Similarly, Rakuten reported nearly 680,000 new resale listings starting December 25 at 3 PM.
According to a recent eBay barometer conducted with Kantar in December 2023, 44% of French people admitted to having resold a Christmas gift, and more are using the proceeds to buy what they would have preferred to unwrap instead.
"After a year 2023 where inflation weighed on the purchasing power of the French, our barometer 2024 shows a change of paradigm: the French now seem to place more importance on indulging themselves by reselling their gifts," said Sarah Tayeb, General Director of eBay France.
Reselling Christmas gifts is becoming increasingly common in France. According to recent reports, 21% of the French plan to resell their gifts this year, nearly double from 12% in 2018. The practice is particularly widespread among young adults: 57% of those aged 25-34 have resold at least one Christmas gift, compared to only 26% of those aged 55-64, highlighting a generational shift in reselling behavior.
"Ten years ago, second-hand sales and reselling were marginal. Since then, online sales have developed," said Louise Benzrihem, noting that the trend of reselling gifts is linked to the anchoring of the circular economy in French habits.
Many French people view reselling gifts as a practical solution. For some, it's an opportunity to purchase items they prefer. "Since there are a lot of things after the holidays that are on second-hand sites, I'm reselling a gift I don't like to buy the one I like. You could say it's bartering!" said Marie, a French consumer.
However, not everyone views gift reselling favorably. A quarter of the French consider gift reselling "disrespectful," believing it reflects "a lack of consideration and can hurt the people who gave the gifts."
The surge in gift reselling has been facilitated by specialized online platforms. While sites like eBay and Leboncoin are among the most popular for reselling gifts, other platforms cater to specific products. For instance, Vinted is widely used for selling clothes in France, with over 23 million users. For luxury items, users can opt for Vestiaire Collective, which specializes in high-end item resale between individuals. Websites like Momox buy and resell used books, CDs, DVDs, and video games, offering a convenient option for those looking to part with unwanted media.
Gift cards have also become a focus. Place des Cartes specializes in the resale of gift cards and buys unused gift cards for slightly less than their original value.
The most resold categories among the French include clothing, shoes, and accessories (37%), books (31%), decorative objects (30%), toys and games (23%), and video games (23%).
"Last year, the French were reselling their gifts to save money or pay bills. This year we notice that they want to treat themselves by reinvesting, for example, in another gift," explained Tayeb.
Despite the increasing acceptance of gift reselling, some still struggle with the concept. "When we give a gift, I imagine that the person gave it with their heart and I can't resell it," a passerby said.
"The French now seem to value reselling gifts to satisfy themselves more," said Tayeb.
As the trend continues, platforms expect reselling activity to persist beyond the holiday season. "Reselling generally continues throughout January and even early February, as we observed last year, with volumes remaining high throughout this period," explained Victorien Meyer, e-merchandising project manager at Rakuten France. This allows people to finance purchases during the winter sales.
Le Figaro, Ouest-France, 20 Minuten, BFMTV, France Info, Le Point, and Elle France reported on the trend, among other websites.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq