The FINANCIAL — Shopping therapy can become anti-therapy when you’re wandering around shops hoping to find the right gift. Thinking you’re buying a perfect thing for someone, you may actually end up giving them something despised instead. Every person has a gift in mind which they don’t want to receive. You just need to know what it is beforehand.
The FINANCIAL’s study shows that pets are N1 in the list of top ten gifts you don’t want to receive.
Allergies and lack of time for caring for them are the main reasons for why pets are such unpopular gift for Christmas. Candies are in second place in the top 10. Our interviewers say you won’t surprise anyone with sweets, as everybody is oversupplied with them in the holidays anyway.
Flowers at Christmas were also named amongst the most useless, unwanted Christmas gifts.
“Gifts that I don’t want to receive include jugs or vessels as I have enough of them. Also: large vases – I don't have space for them; an iron – I never use one; vacuum cleaner – I also never use one; sweet-smelling fragrances – I hate them; cheap chocolates – I only love good chocolates; soft toys – make me feel stupid; Dutch flowers – they remind me of funerals; plants – they need too much care; landscape pictures – I find them ugly,” Ana Tikaradze, Career Development Coordinator of the Human Resources Department, Bank Republic, Societe Generale Group, told The FINANCIAL.
“Everyone’s favourite from last year’s presents was jewellery from She’s shop,” Tikaradze added.
“Actually I appreciate every kind of gift at Christmas time because each of them possesses the atmosphere of Christmas and thus makes me happy,” says Nino Kvezereli-Kopadze, Marketing Manager of Cartu Bank.
“However I can still find things which I would prefer not to get at Christmas or New Year, for example: clothes – because I prefer to choose them for myself; sweets and chocolates – because we have a lot of them at New Year; alcoholic drinks; office supplies – I get bored of them enough at work; and finally kitchen equipments – ditto,” Kvezereli-Kopadze noted.
“One of the most special presents I got last year was a pair of Miu Miu gloves, because it was a gift from a very special person. On the whole I’m happy about all kinds of presents, but only when they are from people I appreciate,” Kvezereli-Kopadze says.
“I am allergic to pets, that’s why I’d count them out first; Skis, as I don’t ski at all; Chinese symbolic and horoscopy signs – I don’t believe in the strength of talismans and/or destiny; cigarettes and cigars – I don’t smoke; alcoholic beverages – I’m not a drinker; motor-cycle – I have bad experiences with them where my friend got injured and since them I have sworn not to ride them anymore; and clothes – I wear things bought by me only,” George Baidarashvili, Marketing Manager of one of the leading construction companies Arci, told The FINANCIAL.
Tinatin Gugberidze, Marketing Manager of Caucasus University (CU) prefers to receive luxury and expensive gifts. “Things that I do not want to receive include cheap, useless Chinese-manufactured things; dinner at a fast food restaurant – if someone would like to invite me to dinner, I would prefer to go somewhere a little more chic; travel to the Moon – actually I would prefer somewhere more accessible like Rio-de-Janeiro or the Seychelles; a ticket to a “Baiatebi” Georgian Singer contest; DVDs about war or terror – we had enough of that this year, so I don’t want to see anything like it again; a trip to Zimbabwe – as today there is a disease there; an old soviet car – they’re useless; a velvet dress, as I am allergic to velvet; a kiss from a man who I don’t like – which is quite understandable; some perfumes, like Amarige de Givenchy – I don’t like their smell at all.”
“I don’t like pets, that’s why it would be a bad idea to present me with one; I don’t like Roses; Clothes, like night gowns; congratulating postcards (sent just for the sake of propriety); a tourist voucher to the Antarctic; books about politics or the safety of the environment; very sweet fragrances; and cosmetics. I actually prefer practical things which I’ll use for a long time after and won’t just leave in a cupboard somewhere,” says Natia Gotsadze, PR manager of TBC Bank.
“I wouldn’t want to receive pets, birds, neither live nor toy, jewellery, anything made by silver and other useless things,” says Julia Enukishvili, HR manager of Basis Bank. “I would like to receive a tourist voucher to travel to somewhere in Europe; gold jewellery; or a gift card,” Enukishvili, Basis Bank, added.
“My Top Ten list consists of things that are useless for me. The list is as follows: crystal chandelier; artificial flowers; useless or old-fashioned tableware, which I’ll never put on the table; vase; silly CD’s with silly music; collections of pans and frying pans; decorative statues; towels; champagne; and tea towels,” Mzia Sharashidze, PR Manager of Construction Company Redix, noted.
Gifts which our respondents named which corresponded with items on the list of the Top Ten most undesirable gifts according to British people, were: CD’s, chocolates and all useless things.
Top Ten Gifts British don’t want to receive for Christmas: 1. Guides on How to Lose Weight, 2. Socks, 3. Gift Vouchers, 4. Popular Music, 5. Address Books, 6. Chocolate, 7. Photo Frame, 8. Mugs, 9. Slippers, 10. Deodorant and Shower Gel Box Sets.
Written By Madona Gasanova
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