HOLIDAY RECOVERY AND 2010 RESOLUTION HELP FROM KIJIJI.COM
Nearly 180 Million Americans Keep Unwanted Holiday Gifts They Never Use
San Jose, CA, December 4, 2009 – As the holidays come and go and 2009 comes to a close, many Americans are will try to figure out what to do with the not-so-perfect holiday gifts they received and begin to think about their 2010 resolutions. Kijiji.com, eBay’s safe and family-friendly free classifieds Web sites, can help consumers deal with some of their top resolutions including saving or making extra money, getting organized and getting fit.
Gifting Guilt
According to a recent survey from Kijiji.com and Chadwick Martin Bailey, a custom research and consulting firm, found that 3 in 5 consumers (59 percent) keep unwanted gifts they received during the holiday season citing two common reasons for holding on to that ugly sweater from grandma: don’t want to upset the gift giver (60 percent) or for sentimental reasons (25 percent). Women tend to worry more about upsetting the giver, with 64 percent of them keeping the items to avoid hurt feelings, compared to 55 percent of men. Other recipients think they may use the gifts eventually (51 percent) or think it’s just too much effort to return them to the store (33 percent).
Over a quarter of consumers admitted to engaging in the controversial practice of regifting, and attempted to pass the undesirable gift onto someone else. Women are more likely to exercise their thriftiness, with one-third (33 percent) of ladies admitting to regifting, compared with 23 percent of men.
Selling unwanted presents on Kijiji is completely free and very convenient, and allows you to avoid the embarrassment of Aunt Melanie realizing you just gave her the same necklace she sent you for your birthday last year. There’s sure to be someone out there who would love to have that leopard-print blanket with sleeves that your well-meaning boyfriend put under the tree for you.
Maximize Your Finances
The Kijiji survey also found that,1 in 10 holiday gifts (10 percent) given during the holiday season are kept by the recipient, even if they don’t want or will never use them. So if your resolution is to make the most of your finances in 2010, why not start by looking at those gifts you’ve received that weren’t on your list.
Kijiji.com can help consumers achieve their money making resolution because selling unwanted items on the site allows consumers to clear out their cluttered homes and make some extra cash at the same time. Kijiji’s free, family-friendly local classifieds site makes it easy for people to buy, sell and connect within their communities.
Get Your Home in Shape
Kijiji’s survey found that one-third of respondents (33 percent) just put aside the undesirable loot and let it contribute to the clutter in their homes, and only 10 percent consider trading their unwanted gifts in for cash by reselling them. Keeping unused and unwanted gifts only contributes to your clutter so if you’re resolving to kick the clutter habit in 2010 start by clearing out the things that you don’t need.
Start by taking a look around your home. Are there any gifts from 2009 that haven’t been opened since you ripped off the wrapping paper? Even though only 1 in 10 consumers are likely to resell pesky presents, nearly three-quarters of consumers (71 percent) would expect to receive at least half of the gift’s original value. For example, the ping-pong table that’s been folded up in your basement could be worth $80 or those skis that you received last year could get you $29, according to Turbo Tax ItsDeductible. So by getting rid of these unused and unwanted gifts you will make a little extra cash and clean out your clutter.
Get Yourself in Shape
Decluttering not only helps you get your home in shape, but yourself as well! You may not realize it, but decluttering is actually a great way to stay active at home – it’s an easy way to multitask, especially if you don’t have time to get to the gym. Experts say just an hour of cleaning and organizing each day can help you burn an extra 200 to 300 calories! If you’re looking to really amp up your exercise routine, check out Kijiji to find gently used exercise equipment in your area, like treadmills and ellipticals. No shipping necessary!
No matter if your resolution is to maximize your money, get organized or get fit, Kijiji can help!
For more information, visit http://www.kijiji.com.
Survey Methodology
Data was collected from 1,554 adults (aged 18 and over) via a nationally representative online survey questionnaire within the United States on behalf of Kijiji by Chadwick Martin Bailey between October 22, 2009 and October 25, 2009. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. population over ages 18 and older. Complete survey results are available to members of the media and can be obtained by request.
About Kijiji
Kijiji (www.kijiji.com), which means “village” in Swahili, is eBay’s free, safe, family friendly, local classifieds website that makes it easy to buy or sell everything from clothes to cars, find a job, adopt a pet, rent an apartment, and do so much more, right in your own neighborhood. Kijiji is currently available in more than 1,000 cities and countries around the world, and the site launched in 220 cities in the U.S. on June 29, 2007. In addition to the U.S., Kijiji has online communities in Canada, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Japan and Taiwan. Kijiji is part of a broader eBay Classifieds family including Gumtree, Marktplaats, Mobile.de and Loquo, which extends the reach of eBay Classifieds to more than 20 countries.
About Chadwick Martin Bailey
Chadwick Martin Bailey (www.cmbinfo.com) is a Honomichl 50 ranked custom market research and consulting firm working with many of the most successful companies and best known brands in the world to help them acquire, maintain, and grow their customer base. Founded in 1984 by John Martin and Anne Bailey Berman, the company has corporate headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, serving clients in more than 30 countries around the globe. Chadwick Martin Bailey focuses on using leading-edge research techniques to collect and translate the data into simple, business decision-focused deliverables. (www.cmbinfo.com)
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Media Contacts:
Kathy Domingo
Kijiji U.S.
kadomingo@ebay.com
Andrea Conrad
M Booth & Associates for Kijiji U.S.
(212) 539-3212
kijiji@mbooth.com
Kristen GarveyChadwick Martin Bailey
(617) 986-7478
kgarvey@cmbinfo.com
