WA women most likely to receive ‘crappy’ Christmas gifts this year, new survey reveals

It seems Santa isn’t always fair in WA, with women more likely to be left with a disappointing present under the tree than men, according to new research.

Just over two-thirds of WA women reported receiving “crappy” Christmas gifts, compared with 56 per cent of WA men, according to a survey by YouGov for Team Global Express.

“Great gifting is about taking time to really consider what someone wants,” Team Global Express chief commercial officer Andrew Wildblood said, adding thoughtful gift giving required time and care.

“Sometimes we leave our loved ones till last and make bad decisions we know won’t cut the mustard.

“Unfortunately for WA women, WA men seem to be relying on the old dad’s joke, ‘Christmas is a time for giving, so forgive me’.”

Nearly half of WA residents make eleventh-hour online gift decisions from the comfort of their own bed, while eight per cent confess to making these urgent purchases from the toilet, the survey found.

“Whether tucked up in bed or locked away behind the dunny door, it looks like WA residents need peace and quiet to make their last-minute online shopping decisions,” Mr Wildblood said.

WA women were more likely than men to make last-minute purchases from bed, while men were slightly more inclined to do their festive shopping from the bathroom.

Despite these unusual shopping habits, West Aussies are the nation’s most polite regifters — or perhaps they’ve simply been given gifts so questionable that no one else would want them.

Only 36 per cent of WA residents have regifted a present, the lowest rate in the country, compared to 57 per cent in South Australia and 51 per cent in NSW.

“WA should be proud to be the nation’s lowest regifters,” Mr Wildblood said.

“Either they’re the politest people in Australia, keeping every gift no matter how questionable, or receiving gifts so spectacularly bad they can’t inflict them on anyone else. Either way, it’s impressive.”

When it comes to the gifts most likely to be returned, fashion and footwear top the naughty list, followed closely by cheap perfume, random kitchen gadgets, novelty items, and self-help books.

Mr Wildblood noted a distinct WA trend: “WA Boomers seem to be the biggest buyers of the wrong fashion choices, usually because they’re purchasing for two generations down and two trends too late.”

“We see a lot of packages go from the east to the west and back again every festive season because someone didn’t stop to ask what anyone wanted.”

Even as online shopping gains popularity, in-store shopping remains the festive favourite for WA.

While 57 per cent of residents typically shop online for Christmas gifts, a whopping 89 per cent still enjoy the in-store experience.

“West Australians still want the communal experience of browsing in a store, trying things on, testing things out and celebrating together,” Mr Wildblood said.

“It’s a great win for retailers in a tough market and means even when people are looking online, they’ll still hit the streets to get the right gift at the right time.”