Gift Coupons Becoming More Popular Than Gifts

New Delhi: Remember when you unwrapped a gift, put it away and never touched it again? Selecting a gift can be tricky, especially when you are unaware of the person's taste or collection, the reason why gift coupons are becoming popular this festive season.

Shruti Agarwal, a public relations manager who recently got married, says that she has a closet full of wedding gifts that have been "locked in for life".

"There were sets after sets of glass bowls and photo frames which we are never going to use. We appreciate the gesture, but I feel bad that all that effort has gone waste because they don't suit our taste and there is just too much of the same stuff," Agarwal told IANS.

"I wish we had got gift vouchers instead. At least we could buy something that we really needed," she added.

Shagun Mitra, a freelance writer, says that after learning from her own experience of getting gifts that have been stacked in her storeroom, she presents gift coupons to her friends and relatives on birthdays, anniversaries, festivals and other occasions.

"Unless you know someone well and know what they want, or what their choice is, it is very difficult to choose the right gift for them. You may have the best interest in mind and put in a lot of effort and money, but there is every chance that the sari you picked, or the set of glasses you bought, does not suit their taste, or they already have something similar," Mitra said.