MyGiftClues.com helps banish unused toys this Christmas
Research shows that UK households are drowning under mountains of toys and games that children never play with. The average ten-year-old has 238 toys, yet plays with only 12 favourites per day – around 5%. The UK has the second highest spend per child on toys and games in the world, with each shopper spending £508 per child – and that figure continues to grow.
MyGiftClues.com is a new and free online tool that is helping parents to banish unwanted gifts and unused toys to the past.
By using MyGiftClues.com parents can gently nudge well-meaning friends and relatives towards buying toys with longevity; ones they know will be firm favourites with their children. Users of all ages can create and share their own lists with direct web links to the exact gift they want, complete with images and prices.
Or, for more of a surprise, parents (and children) can create an inspirational scrapbook or mood board, leaving a trail of clues towards things they would like. It’s easy to set up an account and create a list, and then have fun by adding images, colour palettes, similar items or even dream experiences to then share with friends and family. For example, a mother might create “Amelie’s Christmas present ideas,” add “a theatre trip” and her daughter’s favourite TV or book characters. Or she might add “a new winter coat” and a selection of Amelie’s favourite colours.
Alternatively, those really hard-to-buy-for people who always leave you stumped each birthday and Christmas can now reveal a wealth of ideas, making shopping a whole lot easier. They can prioritise their favourites and a smart checklist shows when someone has elected to buy an item, meaning they won’t receive the same gift twice.
MyGiftClues.com also helps you build a calendar of special events, such as birthdays, to remind you to organise the perfect present in time.
DID YOU KNOW?
- 2013 research shows that as a nation, we are sitting on £2.4 million of unwanted Christmas presents, worth an average £48.41 each.
- A study of 3,000 parents showed the average 10-year-old child owns 238 toys in total, worth £6,603, but parents think they play with just 12 favourites on a daily basis, worth £330, making up just five per cent of their toys. More than half of parents believe their children end up picking the same toys day in and day out because they have too many to choose from. 61 per cent of adults admit their children would probably play with a wider variety of toys if they participated too. Research by dreamtown.co.uk. *More information below.
- According to recent data from Euromonitor International the average British shopper spent £508 on toys and games for each child in 2013. However, Australian consumers treated their children even more, spending £555 per child in 2013.
- Four out of five people have no idea what to get friends and family, with parents, in-laws and partners singled out as the worst offenders for buying the wrong gift.
Entrepreneurial Dorset-based mum of three Sarah Gow created the concept of MyGiftClues.com with her husband, Alex, and says: “Parents can often feel their homes are being taken over by piles of toys that never see the light of day. MyGiftClues.com helps people of all ages ensure their hard-earned cash is used to buy something they know will be appreciated by their loved ones, not wasted.”
She says: “MyGiftClues.com is unique as it allows people to be as creative as they want; curating inspirational pages of ideas and leaving trails of clues for loved ones, rather than simply doing the choosing for them. We are taking the guesswork out of giving, yet still ensuring there’s a nice surprise at the end!”
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Notes to editors
Based in Poole, Dorset (United Kingdom), www.MyGiftClues.com was founded in 2013 by wife and husband team Sarah and Alex Gow, who between them have widespread experience in the finance and banking sector, large corporate sales, internet based start-ups, marketing, social media campaigning and public sector.
The website has been developed using local creative and technical expertise and is responsive across multiple digital platforms.
Jo O’Connell, JellyRock PR,
E: jo@jellyrockpr.co.uk M: +44 7977714787
Twitter: @MyGiftClues
Facebook: MyGiftClues
Google+: MyGiftClues
