Long considered an inappropriate and marginal practice, the resale of Christmas gifts has become commonplace in recent years. Today, nearly 48% of French people recognize that they have already taken the plunge, according to the latest eBay barometer carried out by Kantar. Next to 21% plan to do so again in 2025twice as much as in 2011.
But what pushes them to resell? Around one in two people surveyed resell their gift because they don’t like it and 34% because it is a duplicate. The need for money was mentioned by 23% of respondents. A reason that could be further put forward this year, since 41% of French people have dipped into their savings or used alternative payment methods to finance their Christmas shopping, according to a survey carried out by the Flashs institute.
The money thus recovered will mainly be used to cover part of the expenses related to the holidays for 27% of respondentswhile 43% plan to save it. “This year, the French are re-evaluating the way they use the money they earn: saving and paying for Christmas-related expenses now comes before the pleasure of treating themselves to something», analyzes Sarah Tayeb, general director of eBay France.
Choose the platform and secure the sale
As recommended by the official website Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, it is better to go through sites that have a integrated messaging and payment system to avoid any scams.
Depending on the type of item to resell, some platforms are more suitable than others. For clothing, shoes and other fashion accessories, Vinted stands out as the best option, even if it remains mainly used in Europe. It also allows you to sell small household items, electronics and beauty.
If you want to resell everyday objects, even the largest, Leboncoin remains the reference. The latter reaches a more local audience and its use is limited to France.
In the event that the item to be put up for sale is very specialized or collectible, eBay is the best solution, because it is frequented by enthusiasts and collectors from all over the world.
Finally, for luxury items or major high-end brands, Vestiaire Collective is the preferred platform, since it has an authentication system adapted to this type of item. Vinted also offers this service.
The best time to post your ad
Considering the peaks in traffic recorded by the platforms just after Christmas, buyers and sellers are not wasting time. In fact, the Rakuten platform has identified 680,000 new ads posted on December 25 at 3 p.m. A peak also confirmed on the eBay side.
“Like every year, we anticipate a peak from Christmas Eve and predict a 400% increase in the number of announcements compared to the average from December 25“, explains Sarah Tayeb.
Unsurprisingly, most sales take place just after Christmas Eve, between December 26 and 28. But less seasonal items may wait a few extra days, as shoppers look for deals weeks later.
On average, the French say they have recovered nearlya hundred euros by reselling their 2024 Christmas giftsaccording to Rakuten. This year, expectations would be more modest, around 52 eurosaccording to the eBay barometer.
