The 29th of December will once again be the best day for Brits to re-sell any Christmas gifts that aren’t right for them and make self-improvement purchases ahead of the new year, according to data* by online marketplace eBay.
Christened ‘Boxing Up Day’, the 29th of December is the day each year when Brits pack up the Christmas gifts that haven’t quite hit the mark and list them for re-sale on eBay.
This modern-day Christmas tradition returns, as data** shows households across the UK are set to receive more than £850million worth of gifts that aren’t right for them. One in five of Brits stated that they would use the money they make from re-selling Christmas gifts to fund their new year goals, with the average person set to spend £511*** in January on items including new clothes, DIY, hairstyles and fitness equipment.
The biggest motivator for these self-improvement purchase decisions is weight-loss (30%), followed by stress relief (12%) and making new friends (10%).
Between 9pm and 10pm on 29th of December is the best time to re-sell gifts on eBay as the online marketplace sees a peak in searches - one every eight seconds - as a third of Brits admit Christmas fatigue has set in and 81% said they are fully focused on the year ahead by this point in the festive break.
This year the analysts at eBay have trawled through all the data from 2016 to create a list of the best items to re-sell on the 29th of December, based on best sellers from last year between 27th – 30th December, that can support new projects:
1. DVDs and blu-rays (30,404)
2. Home Décor e.g lamps, vases and soft furnishings (18,062)
3. DIY materials e.g. powertools (15,831)
4. Mobile smart phones (15,312)
5. Furniture e.g. sofas, coffee tables and chairs (11,250)
6. Women’s Handbags (9,594)
7. Appliances e.g. blenders, sandwich makers and electric steamers (9,496)
8. Women’s Shoes (9,417)
9. Men’s shoes (6,760)
10. Women’s fragrances (3,144)
Eight out of ten of us believe that Christmas is the perfect time to declutter, making space by getting rid of stuff they no longer need, with one in three admitting it’s a cathartic exercise that leaves them feeling more positive about the year ahead.
With more than 23million buyers on eBay every month and last year Brits bought more than one million items on the site between 27 – 30 December at a rate of 173 products per minute, or three every second.
Will Weightman, Senior Director, Consumer Selling, eBay UK says, “The period between Christmas and the New Year is when we see a tremendous spike in items being listed on eBay. Normally at this time of year people are looking for ways to make a bit of extra cash and fund the things they want to do in the new year.”
eBay remains the place to sell your unwanted items. With 23m buyers in the UK and 168m globally you’ll be able to sell quickly and get a great price. Top tips for selling on eBay:
1. Download the app: eBay has focused on making selling ever simpler and this is particularly evident on the app which benefits from seamless integration with your phone camera.
2. Think like your buyer: Fill the title with words your buyers will search for, take photos and write description to convince them your products is for them.
3. Pick your price & format: You have the option to either list as a fixed price or an auction. Today 80% of items on eBay are fixed price so if you know the price you want and are happy to sit back and wait then choose this option. If you're keen on a bit of drama and excitement, explore the auction option. A ten-day auction that ends on Sunday gives more time to garner interests and watchers.
4. Use eBay delivery: Whether you're selling a tiny parcel or a more hefty item, eBay has secured great prices on tacked services that can be dropped off at thousands of locations nationwide. You'll save money, be protected and can do it all through the eBay site. More details here:http://programme.ebay.co.uk/ebay_delivery_shutl/
5. Go free: Increase your chances of selling by offering your buyer free shipping, you can always include the cost in your price
ENDS
ABOUT EBAY
The original disruptor of the e-commerce world, eBay has come of age – but it’s still shaking up traditional retail with a global marketplace that welcomes big brands, empowers entrepreneurs and serves 23.5 million customers a month in the UK alone.
Market
eBay was the first online marketplace. Today, it’s a household name. A regular feature in lists of best loved brands, it connects millions of buyers and sellers, helping customers to find the item they’re looking for from its 1.1 billion listings.With buyers in 190 markets, trade is fast. The UK website sells a car part every second, and searches for must-have items, like 2017's fidget spinner, regularly top fifty searches a second. This incredible interest directly benefits the small businesses who trade on eBay giving them access to an audience once unthinkable for a small shop on the high street.
Product
Whether an item is new or nearly new, luxurious or rare, fashionable or one-of-a-kind, it is probably for sale on eBay.co.uk. The brand’s mission is to be the place where the world shops first, and a continued focus on its powerful search – including image recognition and voice control through Google Home - gives power to that promise.
While eBay remains true to its marketplace roots, 88% of the items for sale on eBay are now offered at a fixed price and 81% are brand new. The UK’s big retail brands also continue to gravitate towards the marketplace, setting up their own eBay stores to be where British consumers are shopping.
All sellers on eBay benefit from one of the most popular mobile apps in the market – downloaded more than 380 million times and counting – along with a ready-made web presence that is fast, mobile and secure.
Achievements
Throughout its history, eBay has helped many thousands of small businesses to succeed. Small British firms regularly rank in the top five grossing sellers on eBay.co.uk’s biggest trading days like Black Friday, and over a thousand British sellers who started with a shop on eBay are now running million pound businesses, providing jobs to people in their communities.
By partnering with sellers in this way, eBay.co.uk has helped hundreds of thousands of British entrepreneurs over its 22 year history. As a hub of retail in the UK, the marketplace also continues to welcome top brands to the site – including Currys, Halfords, GoPro, Canon, Boohoo and more.
eBay also makes it easy for customers to give to charitable organisations. Using eBay for Charity, sellers can donate a portion of their sales and buyers can shop while supporting their favourite causes- adding to the funds that eBay.co.uk has raised for UK charities to date..
Recent developments
With a wealth of ‘firsts’ to its name, eBay remains at the forefront of online retail. The marketplace created one of the first-ever mobile apps, and today over 60% of international buyers shop on eBay through their mobile device, putting the products of small businesses directly into the hands of consumers whenever they want to shop.
Fast forward to 2017 and eBay is still driving new developments: artificial intelligence, the ability to search from a photograph and the world’s first virtual reality department store experience to name a few. Innovating in mobile has also meant an expansion into social media, a natural partner to the marketplace. eBay.co.uk’s Mother’s Day Snapchat lens was one of the most popular filters of 2017 and a new generation of customers are finding deals through this medium.
Promotion
In autumn 2017, eBay’s Fill Your Cart With Colour campaign launched in the UK and around the world. Advertising ran across all channels, mirroring the offering of the eBay marketplace; encouraging shoppers to celebrate their individual passions and shopping ‘like nobody else’ – something the brand says is possible only on eBay thanks to its unrivalled choice.
For Christmas 2017 eBay brought the campaign to central London, with a range of UK influencers to bring the brand to life. eBay was also the first to invest in mood advertising – ads with the ability to react instantly to the mood of consumers – on the iconic screens of Piccadilly Circus.
eBay regularly partners with other high profile brands who understand the power of the marketplace in bringing products to life. In late 2017 eBay once again joined forces with Disney ahead of the much-anticipated release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The brand's dedicated Star Wars Hub (ebay.co.uk/starwars) featured more than 12,000 pieces of official merchandise and sold a lightsaber every 15 minutes. It is one of a range of product hubs built for brands including Dyson, Canon and GoPro, and sits alongside specialist categories including physical media, Curve clothing and newly added wine and beer categories.
Brand history timeline
1995 - eBay founder, Pierre Omidyar, launches AuctionWeb. By the following year, $7.2m worth of merchandise is sold.
1997 - Feedback is introduced, allowing members to rate their transactions – a first for the web that’s now an industry staple.
2000 - Buy It Now, allowing users to buy an item instantly at a set price, is introduced.
2002 - eBay purchases PayPal, followed by Gumtree three years later.
2008 - eBay is one of the first companies to launch on an iPhone, featuring during the Apple app store launch.
2009 - eBay receives a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign, which it has continued to receive every subsequent year.
2016 – In partnership with Myer, eBay launches the first-ever virtual reality department store as well as a smart, personal shopping assistant, powered by AI.
2017- eBay’s 22nd year in the UK sees Image Search and Find It On eBay launching, allowing shoppers to search using a picture.
Did you know?
eBay has 168 million active buyers around the world.
In the UK, eBay serves 23m Brits a month.
Princess Charlotte is currently the most influential Royal when it comes to buying behaviour on eBay.co.uk – inspiring searches for her outfit every time she appears
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