Unwanted Christmas Gifts Enrich the Offering on Ricardo

09.01.2025

Christmas is the season of giving, followed by the season of re-gifting unwanted presents. For years, the online marketplace Ricardo has seen a sharp increase in new listings immediately after the holidays, partly due to the sale of inappropriate or duplicate gifts. A comparison of before and after Christmas 2024 shows an increase of about 24% in newly listed secondhand items. Ricardo’s offerings in toys, men’s fashion, furniture, and women’s fashion have seen the biggest increases.

 A sweater in the wrong size, a book that’s already been read, or a toy that the kids have outgrown? Well-meaning Christmas gifts sometimes don’t create the expected excitement among recipients. Rather than letting these unsuitable, incorrect, or duplicate presents go unused, they find a second life on online marketplaces like Ricardo, with a new happy owner. An analysis by Ricardo shows that from December 26, 2024, to January 5, 2025, 407,900 secondhand items were newly listed, which is about 24% more than during the same period before Christmas. This sharp increase is also likely due to devices that are no longer in use but still functional, such as smartphones, which were replaced by new models over Christmas.

Consumption Frenzy vs. Circular Economy

Unbridled consumer enthusiasm in Switzerland often peaks during the Christmas season. According to Statista, an average person spends CHF 283 on Christmas gifts, regardless of whether the gifts fit or bring joy to the recipient. As a result, many unsuitable gifts quickly end up on Ricardo, where many buyers are delighted by the attractive new inventory that appears after the holidays. Often, an unwanted gift is exactly what someone else has been searching for.

“In addition to the Christmas peak at the end of November, the days after Christmas are traditionally some of the busiest times of the year for Ricardo,” explains Francesco Vass, Managing Director of Ricardo. “More and more Ricardo users are choosing to pass on their unsuitable gifts to someone who will enjoy them more. By giving unused products a new life, they are actively contributing to the Swiss circular economy,” says Vass.

Used Products with the Strongest Growth in New Listings on Ricardo*

Product Category
(Condition: used)
New Listings

from 26.12.2024 to 05.01.2025

Growth

Toys & Games 22’189 + 72 percent
Men’s Fashion 26’606 + 29 percent
Furniture 30’475 + 28 percent
Women’s Fashion 46’014 + 25 percent
Books 35’012 + 21 percent
DVDs 15’614 + 19 percent
Dishes & Glassware 14’662 + 16 percent
CDs 18’061 + 14 percent

*Base: New listings of the most relevant product categories from 15.12.2024 to 25.12.2024 vs. 26.12.2024 to 05.01.2025

Mojca Fuks
Senior Corporate Communications Manager & Media Spokesperson

[email protected]

+41 76 220 59 89

About Ricardo Founded in late 1999 in Baar (ZG), Ricardo has grown over the past 25 years to become one of the most popular online marketplaces for secondhand goods in the Swiss e-commerce market. Ricardo is part of SMG Swiss Marketplace Group AG. www.ricardo.ch About SMG Swiss Marketplace Group AG SMG Swiss Marketplace Group AG is a pioneering network of online marketplaces and an innovative digital company that simplifies people’s lives with forward-looking products. SMG Swiss Marketplace Group AG provides customers with the best tools for their life decisions. Its portfolio includes Real Estate (ImmoScout24, Homegate, Flatfox, Immostreet.ch, alle-immobilien.ch, home.ch, Publimmo, Acheter-Louer.ch, CASASOFT, IAZI), Automotive (AutoScout24, MotoScout24), General Marketplaces (anibis.ch, tutti.ch, Ricardo), and Finance and Insurance (FinanceScout24, moneyland.ch). The company was founded in November 2021 by TX Group AG, Ringier AG, La Mobilière, and General Atlantic. www.swissmarketplace.group

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