27 December 2023 , 08:00
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Imaging waking up on Christmas morning and hating a gift so much that you return it first thing.
It's no secret that while many of us can't wait to open our gifts on Christmas Day and feel grateful for people thinking of us, some of us can end up with many items we don't actually like. And, returning the items at post offices and drop off points can be a tedious task. But would you ever return a parcel on Christmas Day?
One resident in Wiltshire was the first person to return a potentially unwanted Christmas present as early as 7am last year.
It was still dark when the first parcel was returned to a Collect+ store in Sailsbury town at 7.02am on Christmas Day, according to payment systems firm PayPoint. It was another 38 minutes before the next parcel was returned in Glasgow, at 7.40am.
In total, 419 parcels were returned on Christmas Day through the Collect+ service at local convenience stores across the UK. Some customers returned more than one potentially unwanted present.
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Meanwhile in Enfield, north London, on Christmas Day 2022, a single customer returned seven parcels at 12.09pm. In Wokingham, Berkshire, a customer returned six parcels at 12.44pm.
A further five were returned by a customer in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, at 6.50pm. Meanwhile, there were hundreds of potentially happier customers who collected parcels on Christmas Day. In total, 1,043 parcels were collected on December 25, 2022, because their local convenience stores were open.
Lewis Alcraft, chief commercial officer at PayPoint, said: "Whilst most of us tucked into our turkey dinners on Christmas Day, thousands of staff at convenience stores were hard at work. Collect+ has transformed services in communities to ensure that people can receive gifts and parcels at nearby collection points, while also offering a way for those who weren't overjoyed at what Santa brought them to return their presents."
The top 10 fastest Christmas Day returns 2022, according to PayPoint:
7.02am Salisbury, Wiltshire
7.40am Glasgow
7.43am Norwich, Norfolk
7.54am London
8.24am Bracknell, Berkshire
8.46am Slough, Berkshire
8.51am Swindon, Wiltshire
9.27am London
9.28am Bury, Lancashire
9.32am Barnsley, South Yorkshire
Do you have a Christmas story you would like to share? Get in touch via [email protected].