One in six adults see nothing wrong with giving Christmas presents unwrapped

A poll of 2,000 Christmas celebrators found 20 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials reckon handing over an unwrapped gift is perfectly acceptable, compared to only eight per cent of those aged between 61 and 79.

Men are also nearly twice as likely as women to give a gift without wrapping it (19 per cent vs 10 per cent). And they’re also much keener than women to simply get someone else to do all their gift-wrapping for them (17 per cent vs seven per cent).

Commissioned by the DFS, the research follows the launch of its Guaranteed Christmas Delivery service on a wide range of its products. As part of the reveal all the sofas in its Derby store were gift wrapped and a competition for 10 customers to win their sofa for free was announced.

Kellie Wyles, spokesperson for the popular furniture retailer, which has also created a guide to surviving the festive season, said:

“Christmas is a time of celebration, but never-ending to-do lists ahead of the big day can often contribute to the heightened emotion. We hope that our Guaranteed Christmas Delivery on selected ranges will help lighten the mental load, when it comes to making sure the home is ready – and we still have plenty of ranges available with delivery in time for December 25th.

"Christmas can be a busy time for the home and to offer a little extra support this season, we’ve also created the ultimate Christmas prep guide, filled with hosting tips and tricks, to help you seamlessly plan for the big day.”

Getting ready for Christmas isn’t all about wrapping the gifts ahead of the big day however - 50 per cent tidy or deep clean in advance too. While one in four (24 per cent) rearrange furniture to make space for guests.

Carried out through OnePoll, the study also found 20 per cent have considered buying new furniture in the run-up to Christmas, with sofas, dining tables and soft furnishings topping the list.

The research also revealed which aspects of festive prep those polled find tricky or frustrating. In addition to 29 per cent revealing they hate wrapping gifts, 79 per cent admitted they struggle to buy gifts for certain people. With partners (22 per cent) posing the biggest challenge ahead of parents (14 per cent) and children (nine per cent).

Getting ahead of the game and starting shopping early also proves tricky for 12 per cent who leave this to the last minute - 16 per cent will even be buying gifts right up until Christmas Eve. However, 21 per cent of those who leave it late claim this approach adds to the festive excitement.

But most (62 per cent) like to get everything sorted well in advance of December 25th, with 27 per cent beginning their prep as early as November. More than half (51 per cent) get sorted early to save money and spread the cost – with over a quarter of us (27 per cent) targeting Black Friday as an ideal opportunity to buy.

Following the announcement of the DFS guaranteed Christmas delivery service, spokesperson Kellie Wyles, said: “Whether you’re a meticulous wrapper or more of a last-minute gifter, our research shows that everyone approaches Christmas differently.

“We’re here to help take the pressure off - whether that’s with a new sofa delivered in time for the big day, or a little inspiration from our festive prep guide to help make the season feel a little more seamless.”