Once upon a time you might have been red-faced giving a secondhand sweater or a tin filled with homemade cookies for the holidays. It seemed out of step in a culture that pushes designer clothing, the newest action toys or S.U.V.s with giant red bows. Of course, extravagant gifts still overshadow the humbler ones. Whatever the reason, more people are giving and receiving used goods, making their own gifts, choosing “experiences” like cooking classes and travel, or even requesting charitable donations in their names or (gasp!) Nearly 190 million Americans shopped online or in stores over the Thanksgiving weekend this year, a 14 percent increase from last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

Source: New York Times December 15, 2019 09:56 UTC