UK retailer Tesco said it has has seen a 150% surge in demand for small gifts for 'Secret Santa' over the last two Christmases.
The rise in demand occurred among gifts under £10, and for items that were more suitable for adults' Christmas stockings than for kids.
According to Tesco, popular gifts include quizzes, charade-style games and a chilli-sauce challenge.
US Origins
The Secret Santa tradition started in offices across America and made its way to the UK during the 2000s, firmly entrenching itself in the British workplace.
The tradition involves colleagues being assigned to buy a small gift for a co-worker without the latter knowing who gave it to them.
“Secret Santa really started to take off this decade and it has created a mini industry for small, fun gifts in the £5 to £10 price bracket,” said Kasha Tarasiuk, a Tesco gifting range buyer.
“These aren’t children’s stocking fillers but more fun games such as quizzes that can be enjoyed by the whole family, or food and drinks accessories.”
“The majority of sales take place in the two week run up to Christmas which the time when most office parties take place and colleagues exchange their gifts,” Tarasiuk added.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Kevin Duggan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
