聖誕將至 法國流行送二手禮物

A used book or nearly-new kitchen gadget may not be at the top of every Christmas wish list, but hard economic times coupled with a new green awareness are changing attitudes about gift-giving in France.

French holiday shoppers are opting in larger numbers for "green" gifting this Christmas, studies show.

About 30 percent of French consumers will give second-hand items as gifts to stretch out their tight budgets but also to do their little bit for recycling, according to a study by international consulting firm Deloitte.

The survey of Christmas consumer behaviours in 18 European countries found the French were more than twice as likely as other Europeans to give second-hand items, making France a pioneer in the trend.

Websites promoting re-gifting and green gifting are flourishing in France, with many reporting a rise in business.

"Concerns about the ecology and the economy have come together and we are now seeing people who accept the types of gifts that were not appreciated just a short time ago," said Sebastien Ravut, who runs a website promoting eco-friendly consumerism.

His site lists shops in France that offer fair trade products, bio-friendly goods and recycled items. Over the Christmas holidays, the number of visits to the site has doubled from last year, reaching 60,000 per month.

A study by online survey firm Vivodi for PriceMinister showed eight out of 10 people would be happy to receive a used item as a gift and that younger consumers were more open to the idea.

But Gilles Goldenberg, author of the Deloitte study, cautioned that environmental concerns are not the overriding consideration when buying used goods.

"The number one concern is getting the lowest possible price," said Goldenberg. "Eco-friendly products are drawing a lot of interest, but not if that means paying more."

Theatre tickets and other low-carbon gifts are in vogue, and eco-friendly websites are also encouraging gift givers to offer time and services instead of stuff.

"The order of the day is to spend less time shopping and more time connecting" over the holidays, said Florence de Monclin from the Nicolas Hulot foundation for Nature and Humanity.

一本舊書或半新的廚房用具可能不是大家最想要的聖誕禮物，但經濟不景氣加上人們環保意識的增強，法國人對於送禮的態度正在發生變化。

研究顯示，今年聖誕節，法國人更傾向於選送“綠色”環保禮物。

德勤國際諮詢公司開展的一項研究顯示，法國約30%的消費者打算送二手禮品，一方面是爲了省點錢，另一方面也是爲環保做點貢獻。

這項聖誕節消費者行爲調查在歐洲18個國家開展。調查發現，法國人送二手禮物的可能性是歐洲其他國家的兩倍，成爲這一潮流的引領者。

在法國，提倡禮物再利用和綠色送禮的網站十分盛行，而且其中很多網站生意不錯。

塞巴斯蒂安•拉夫特經營一家宣傳環保消費主義的網站。他說：“結合生態和經濟兩方面的考慮，人們開始接受這類不久前還不怎麼受歡迎的禮物。”

塞巴斯蒂安的網站列出了法國的一些平價、環保和提供再利用商品的商店名單。在聖誕假期期間，該網站的訪問量達到每月6萬人次，爲去年的兩倍。

由在線調查公司Vivodi爲PriceMinister購物網站開展的一項調查顯示，十人中有八人不介意收到二手禮物，而且年輕的消費者更能接受這一理念。

但德勤調查的負責人吉勒•戈登伯格提醒說，環保並不是人們選擇二手禮品時首要的考慮因素。

戈登伯格說：“消費者首要的考慮因素是爭取儘可能低的價格，環保產品引起很多人的興趣，但如果要花更多的錢，那又不一樣了。”

送電影票和其他低碳禮物也非常流行，環保網站還鼓勵送禮者送時間、送服務來代替實物。

尼古拉斯•于勒自然與人類基金會的弗洛倫斯•德•蒙可琳說，節日期間“人們應該少購物，多聯絡感情”。

Vocabulary:

gift: to present (something) as a gift to (a person) 贈送（禮物）

re-gifting: the act of taking a gift that has been received and giving it to somebody else, sometimes in the guise of a new gift 轉送禮物

overriding: first in priority; more important than all others 最重要的，優先的

in vogue:正在流行