79 Million Gifts Could be Re-sold as 'Boxing up' Day Returns

The 29th of December will once again be the best day for Brits to re-sell any Christmas gifts that aren't right for them and make self-improvement purchases ahead of the new year, according to data* by online marketplace eBay.

     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/622208/eBay_New_Year_New_You_Project_Infographic.jpg )
     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/622209/Top_10_things_to_sell_on_eBay_Infographic.jpg )

Christened 'Boxing Up Day', the 29th of December is the day each year when Brits pack up the Christmas gifts that haven't quite hit the mark and list them for re-sale on eBay.

This modern-day Christmas tradition returns, as data** shows households across the UK are set to receive more than £850million worth of gifts that aren't right for them. One in five of Brits stated that they would use the money they make from re-selling Christmas gifts to fund their new year goals,  with the average person set to spend £511*** in January on items including new clothes, DIY, hairstyles and fitness equipment.

The biggest motivator for these self-improvement purchase decisions is weight-loss (30%), followed by stress relief (12%) and making new friends (10%).

Between 9pm and 10pm on 29th of December is the best time to re-sell gifts on eBay as the online marketplace sees a peak in searches - one every eight seconds - as a third of Brits admit Christmas fatigue has set in and 81% said they are fully focused on the year ahead by this point in the festive break.

This year the analysts at eBay have trawled through all the data from 2016 to create a list of the best items to re-sell on the 29th of December, based on best sellers from last year between 27th - 30th December, that can support new projects:

1. DVDs and blu-rays (30,404) 
2. Home Décor e.g lamps, vases and soft furnishings (18,062) 
3. DIY materials e.g. powertools (15,831) 
4. Mobile smart phones (15,312) 
5. Furniture e.g. sofas, coffee tables and chairs (11,250) 
6. Women's Handbags (9,594) 
7. Appliances e.g. blenders, sandwich makers and electric steamers (9,496) 
8. Women's Shoes (9,417) 
9. Men's shoes (6,760) 
10. Women's fragrances (3,144) 

Eight out of ten of us believe that Christmas is the perfect time to declutter, making space by getting rid of stuff they no longer need, with one in three admitting it's a cathartic exercise that leaves them feeling more positive about the year ahead.

With more than 23 million buyers on eBay every month and last year Brits bought more than one million items on the site between 27 - 30 December at a rate of 173 products per minute, or three every second.

Will Weightman, Senior Director, Consumer Selling, eBay UK says, "The period between Christmas and the New Year is an incredibly busy listings period on the site. Normally at this time of year people are looking for ways to make a bit of extra cash and fund the things they want to do in the new year."

eBay remains the place to sell your unwanted items. With 23m buyers in the UK and 168m globally you'll be able to sell quickly and get a great price. Top tips for selling on eBay:

1. Download the app: eBay has focussed on making selling even simpler and this is particularly true when it comes to the app which benefits from seamless integration with your phone camera
2. Think like your buyer: Fill the title with words your buyers will search for, take photos and write the description to convince them your product is for them
3. Pick your price & format: You have the option to either list as a fixed price or an auction.  Today 80% of items on eBay are fixed price so if you know the price you want and are happy to sit back and wait then choose this option. If you're keen on a bit of drama and excitement, explore the auction option.  A seven-day auction that ends on Sunday gives more time to garner interest and watchers. eBay also has loads of great guidance to help you decide.
4. Use eBay delivery: When it comes to packaging up and sending your parcel, eBay has secured great prices on tracked services that can be dropped off at thousands of locations nationwide. You'll save money, be protected and can do it all through the eBay site. More details here: http://programme.ebay.co.uk/ebay_delivery_shutl/
5. Go free: Increase your chances of selling by offering your buyer free shipping, you can always include the cost in your price

Notes to Editors: 

*eBay Internal Data - 2016

** eBay & Censuswide Data - 31 October - 2 November 2017 of 2000 UK adults

***eBay & Mortar London Data - December 2017 of 2000 UK adults

To satisfy the growing demand for physical media, eBay has recently launched The Entertainment Shop, a curated one-stop shop for books, film, music and games.

About eBay: 

eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) is a global commerce leader including the Marketplace, StubHub and Classifieds platforms. Collectively, we connect millions of buyers and sellers around the world, empowering people and creating opportunity through Connected Commerce. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay is one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2016, eBay enabled $84 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit http://www.ebayinc.com.