Tis' the Season to ... Survey Finds More Than 50% of Americans Admit to 'Re-Gifting'

TARRYTOWN, N.Y., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Don't like it, don't fit in it, don't use it? Re-gift it.

Re-gifting has become a common practice in recent years, especially during the holiday season. But in certain social circles, it's an unthinkable or unmentionable act. However, in a survey conducted by Tassimo Hot Beverage System and Harris Interactive, more than 50 percent of consumers admit to re-gifting, and they plan to re-gift in the future.

While decorative household items, tchotchkes, knickknacks and trinkets were among the most popular types of items to re-gift, the Tassimo survey found that 77 percent of the consumers polled re-gifted because they felt the item was perfect for the new recipient. However, nine percent of re-gifters admit they were just too lazy to buy a new gift, while only four percent confess they were motivated by dislike for the recipient.

Aside from the four percent who acknowledge a mean-spirited purpose, is re-gifting a bad thing?

"Re-gifting is a hotly debated issue and should only be done rarely and under specific criteria, such as if you're certain the gift is something the recipient would enjoy," said Peggy Post, etiquette expert and author of Excuse Me, But I Was Next. "However, if you're in doubt, then don't re-gift. Only you can decide whether to re-gift and how to do it appropriately, so think through each situation carefully."

The survey was conducted by Tassimo to better understand whether re-gifting, as taboo as it may seem, is a common and acceptable practice. In fact, the survey reveals that 78 percent of shoppers feel that re-gifting some or most of the time is acceptable. The Tassimo survey will come to life in New York City's Bryant Park in November at an event where consumers will have the chance to trade in a re-gift for a free Tassimo, the perfect holiday gift.

Tassimo is the only hot beverage machine that prepares an assortment of coffee house quality hot beverages, including coffee, tea, espresso, crema, hot chocolate, and latte and cappuccino with real milk. With more than 30 beverage varieties from distinguished brands such as Gevalia, Maxwell House Cafe Collection and Twinings(R), Tassimo offers a beverage to suit every taste.

Additional findings in the survey include: Experience with Re-gifting * Ninety percent of those who have re-gifted indicated that, to the best of their knowledge, they have never been caught re-gifting; * Of those who have re-gifted, 93 percent have done so more than one time and 40 percent indicated having done so at least four times. Reasons for Re-gifting * Sixty-nine percent felt comfortable giving a re-gift they received but didn't want; * Thirty percent re-gifted because they didn't have enough money to buy a gift.

NOTE: Full survey results and digital photo images of Tassimo are available by contacting Jacalyn Lee of Aspen Marketing Services at 862.324.6291 or jlee@aspenms.com

About Kraft Foods

Kraft Foods is the world's second-largest food and beverage company. For more than 100 years, we've helped people around the world eat and live better. Millions of times a day, in more than 150 countries, consumers reach for their favorite Kraft brands including Kraft cheeses and dinners, Jacobs, Gevalia and Maxwell House coffees, Oscar Mayer meats, DiGiorno pizzas, Oreo cookies, Ritz and Wheat Thins crackers and chips, Philadelphia cream cheese, Milka and Cote d'Or chocolates, Honey Bunches of Oats cereals, Good Seasons salad dressings and Tang refreshment beverage. Consumers are also adding new products like Tassimo, South Beach Diet and our growing range of better-for-you Sensible Solution products to their shopping baskets, continually expanding their list of Kraft favorites.

About Peggy Post

Peggy Post, Emily Post's great-grand-daughter-in-law, is today's recognized leading authority on etiquette and the author of twelve books. Millions seek her advice through her monthly columns in Good Housekeeping and Parents magazines and in her articles in InStyle Weddings and on WeddingChannel.com. She conducts hundreds of speeches and media interviews annually, and her television appearances include Dr. Phil, Good Morning America, Live with Regis & Kelly, Oprah and the Today Show. http://www.emilypost.com/

Methodology

Harris Interactive(R) fielded the Re-gifting Study on behalf of Tassimo(TM) Hot Beverage System from August 3 - 7, 2006, via its QuickQuery(SM) online omnibus service, interviewing a nationwide sample of 1,505 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older. Data were weighed to reflect the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points of what they would be in the entire population of U.S. adults aged 25 - 55 years had been polled with complete accuracy. This is not a probability sample.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/), the 15th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, is a Rochester, NY-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and application. Known for The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering Internet-based research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring results.