The inefficiencies of Christmas
Should you forget presents and give cash?
‘Tis the season to be jolly—and to feign delight at disappointing Christmas presents. The average British adult splurged around £550 ($667) on gifts in 2021, according to one survey. But a back-of-the-envelope calculation by Ian Stewart of Deloitte, a consultancy, suggests that the volumes of unwanted stuff in effect destroyed around £3bn of the £25bn value. Though many see Christmas as a time of generosity and cheer, others see waste. A small number study its inefficiencies.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Scrooge-onomics”
From the December 24th 2022 edition
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