Top returned Christmas gifts are usually the wrong size
Dec 30, 2025, 4:32 PM
According to a new survey by Team Global Express says that the wrong size is the main reason for returned gifts.
Women bear the brunt of bad gifts and fare worse than men when it comes to disappointing presents: 73 per cent of women said they’d received a dud gift, compared to 63 per cent of men.
Some gift categories consistently top return lists.
Clothing and footwear—including sweaters, shoes, socks and other wearables—are among the most frequently returned items because of sizing, fit and style mismatches, making them notoriously difficult to gift. Accessories like scarves and jewelry also miss the mark.
Electronics and gadgets follow closely, as duplicates, incompatible devices or post-holiday discounts prompt exchanges.
Also, data from earlier seasonal lists also underscores the trend: popular unwanted gifts included shoes, kitchen appliances, video games, sweets, candles, athletic apparel, DVDs, toddler clothes, glassware and makeup—many of which ended up back on shelves after the holidays.
Clothing in the wrong size or style (63%)
Ill-fitting or mismatched footwear (57%)
Outdated physical media or incompatible video games (47%)
Cheap perfume or aftershave (48%)
Novelty gifts (41%)
Random kitchen gadgets like banana peelers (37%)
Self-help books (31%)
Did you return anything? What was it? Read more about re-sold gifts here.
2025 Bad Santa Delivery Survey: New England residents not immune to dodgy Christmas gifting
