Quarter of Belgians satisfied with second-hand gift

More than a quarter of the Belgians surveyed (27%) would be happy with a second-hand Christmas gift, according to a study by second-hand stores Troc.com and De Kringwinkels together with classifieds site 2dehands.be. The study, conducted by research agency iVox, surveyed 1,000 Belgians, and found that the demand for 'used' gifts this holiday season increased by about 15%. 2dehands.be, Belgium's most popular site for second-hand items, saw an increase of 25%, reports De Morgen.

"More and more people come into our stores looking for the perfect gift, and not just because of the low prices. The originality of the gifts plays a role. The fact that these products have a story or life behind them makes them that much more valuable," says Pierre Boseret, managing director of Troc.com Belgium.

The top five second-hand gifts for men are books and comics, followed by CDs and vinyl, gardening tools and do-it-yourself items, DVDs, art and antiques. For women, the best-selling used gifts are also books and comics, followed by clothing or accessories, art and antiques, CDs and Vinyl and DVDs.

Despite the high number of people who say they would be happy with a second-hand gift, still 73.5% of Belgians would not consider buying one, because "they do not feel comfortable giving something that's already been used" (46%) or "because the recipient of these products might view them as inferior" (31%).