Tubs of chocolate & toiletries gift sets - show no thought

Yeah, a big tub or a box of Ferreros is often given to all staff by my former CEO as a little gesture to wish us and our family a happy Christmas. Most don’t bother gifting to employees of course unless they directly line manage them so it’s a nice surprise. It used to mark the start of the Christmas holidays for me when I received one.

I love getting consumables now I’m a certain age. I would rather have something slightly nicer than I buy myself, which tbf, dove is as I get Aldi own brand shower gel usually. I’m very happy with jam, shortbread, shower gel etc. I don’t want more “stuff”. I don’t think tubs of roses etc are the best but they do get eaten and it’s nice to have in for guests over Christmas. Loads of those tubs of chocolates end up in peoples work places and are perfectly fine. If you are getting someone a tub of celebrations or a toiletry gift set then you are likely spending under £6/7 and it’s a token gift to someone rather than something that is supposed to be meaningful and treasured.

I will gladly accept a Lynx or Dove set over the charity shop stickered chipped glass bunny family ornaments that I was given. I've had to keep them to put in the glass cabinet when the gifter turns up.

Not just you. I like the gift sets too. Means I don't have to budget for toiletries for a while.

Last Christmas my DP received one of those lynx body wash sets as his present from his dad and his wife. Would have been nice of them to warn us before we’d spent our usual £100 🫠

Feel like I need to add they are very well off. I think it was more of a punishment for us not complying with their Christmas plans.

I’d honestly rather the gift giver saved their money than buy me a toiletry set. I have eczema and can’t use most products so just give them away.

I have a relative in a simmilar profession (who is vegan/teatotal).... Christmas day there contrubution to the meal is all the wine &chocs for everyone else!

Do you need to be close to someone to buy them a present?

Agree.

Give me chocolate anytime.

Oh - and for the toffee penny haters - I love them - please send them to me, and I will give them a good home, I promise! 😁

Me too!

Poor Aunty 😢, can he not make an effort to see her?

I don't mind gift sets with shower gel and hand soap because I can always use those.

But body lotion and hand cream are a waste of time. I use a tiny tube a year, if that.

Personally I am quite happy to get chocolates or wine as presents - I can either eat/drink myself or if it's a wine I don't like, I can regift it or give it to the school fayre.

Totally agree. Consumable / usable gifts all the way

I love getting these gift sets for Christmas. Saves me buying any for a while.

I never turn down chocolate either.

To be honest, I am grateful for any gift I receive. People have spent their hard earned money on it regardless.

these sneery threads appear ever year.

Many people find buying presents stressful.
For various reasons, they want to give something.
These gifts show as much “thought” as anything else.
I personally would be happy to receive them, as I would anything else given to me.

I like gifts that I'll use and will disappear. Prefer flowers or wine or booze over chocolates and toiletries, but all so much better than endless books, scarves, scented candles etc.

I agree, @JaninaDuszejko - this is why I give a lot of edible gifts - posh jam or biscuits from somewhere like Fortnum and Mason, or a hamper of nice things.

Oh - and for the toffee penny haters - I love them - please send them to me, and I will give them a good home, I promise! 😁

Do you mean that if I was close enough to them I would just instinctively know what they want? This may be the case for my partner, but not for old school friends, work colleagues (secret santa) or siblings that I don't see often. I may not be close to them but I still need to give them gifts at Christmases or birthdays.

I'd be delighted to receive a tub of Celebrations. Easy to share/re-gift etc. as if! They'd be all mine.

Gift set of smellies would probably go to the food bank - I don't use hand cream, hand wash etc. They tend to be generic gift for a woman (or a man depending on brand).

My family have not sent each other Xmas presents for many years. Why waste time, money and stress?

This is the main point for me - we did the same too years ago.
It's made Christmas so much simpler, presents for the under-21s (we're a big family) and a Secret Santa for the grownups if people really want to have something to open, although we stopped that a while ago too.

It saves so much time and stress, allows people to get themselves a little something in the sales without being overdrawn, and we all love it!

I would rather have a tub of chocolates. I hate someone buying me a "thoughtful" gift like a personalised photo, household items etc.

I dont really need anything but a treat like chocolate or toiletries or vouchers are very much appreciated.

The Dove and Lynx 'gift sets' remind of prisons.

Weird as it sounds. Like when you see pics/films of guys in a prison cell, they always have an area for their 'stuff' that they proudly display. So lots of bottles of lynx, lots of dove shower gels, hundreds of boxes of budget ramen, bottles of ketchup etc.

It looks like something you could buy from the prison canteen!?

With kindness I would suggest that if you're getting that stressed over buying a present for someone because you can't think of what to get them, perhaps you're not close enough to be buying them a present at all.
You can be invited to a party of someone you are not paticularly close to! Acquaintances invite people and often that's how friendships develop ( just thinking about how I became close friends with my friends)

As suggested to other posters, donate them somewhere than can use them?

Might be hard for some people to believe but there are people out there for whom a tub of chocolates or even Dove (gasp!!) shower gel is a treat that they wouldn’t be able to justify buying for themselves - and for whom it would feel a thoughtful and thoughtful welcome present. I used to be one of these people and know many who still are. I must be hormonal but this thread has made me particularly sad.

I disagree. Some people are time/money poor and simply don't have the resources (time/money) to seek out special "thoughtful" gifts for absolutely everyone they have to buy for. Plus most people I find very difficult to buy for, they have everything already!

I find gift giving between adults annoying anyway, especially giving for the sake of giving ie just because it's Christmas and you feel obligated. It's much more meaningful buying a gift for a personal reason, my friend is near completing her PhD and I'll get her a gift for that but not birthdays or Christmases.