Just three in 10 people expect to receive everything on their Christmas list, survey claims

Siblings are most likely people to buy unwanted presents, according to poll

The average British person receives less than half of the presents they would like for Christmas, a survey claims.

Researchers found that just three in 10 British people expect to receive everything on their Christmas wish list this year.

One-third said they never get the gifts they have asked for, with siblings the most likely people to buy unwanted presents.

The study also found that one in 10 feel "smug" when they know they have bought the perfect gift for their family or friends.

One in five of the survey's respondents said that buying someone a perfect present is better than finding money they had forgotten about in a pocket.

A spokesman for grooming brand Braun, which commissioned the survey of 2,000 adults, said: “Buying Christmas gifts is always laced with an amount of uncertainty, but getting it right can leave you feeling even better than receiving the gift at the top of your wish list.”

“The gift giving balancing act is a tricky one to master.

“On the one hand you can ask someone what they want and buy it for them, ensuring you don’t go wrong – but this takes away the element of surprise.

“But if you go ‘off-list’ and try to get something the recipient hasn’t asked for, you can end up buying a present they don’t particularly like.

“If you do want to go for the element of surprise, the best bet is to buy a gift which is useful and likely to be something they will want.”

The study also found that in an attempt to get everything they want, four in 10 have written a list of the items they would like to receive for Christmas.

And 42 per cent have sent someone a link to the exact gift they would like.

One in 10 of the survey's respondents said they would tell someone to their face if they did not like the present they had received from them.

A further 13 per cent said they have fallen out with a friend or relative either over a gift they have bought or received from someone else which was unwanted.

Over 30 per cent said they would like to receive aftershave or perfume for Christmas this year, and half said they would prefer money.

Nearly one-tenth said they would like an electric shaver or a grooming kit, while some of the most unwanted items include toiletry gift sets, socks and celebrity cookbooks.

When it comes to getting rid of unwanted presents, more than one-third of those surveyed said they would keep it hidden away in a drawer. And one-quarter said they would re-gift the present at a later occasion.

One-third said would give an unwanted gift to charity, and almost one in 10 said they would try and return it to the store without the receipt.

Other top ways to get rid of disliked presents included donating them as raffle prizes, or selling them on auction sites.

A spokesman for Braun added: “Picking the perfect present is a minefield, but there’s nothing more satisfying than choosing a gift you know the recipient will love.

“We conducted this research to uncover how many of us give a gift that makes us feel good.''

SWNS