Each festive season, children across the UK focus their efforts on becoming a professional present detective in the hopes of finding an early Christmas present, with 1 in 5 children (20 per cent) finding and opening their gifts before December 25. In the average family home, storage space is at a premium, with research by Argos finding that 37 per cent of parents don’t have enough storage space. 91 per cent of parents have to hide Christmas presents all over the house, to keep them from prying hands.
Argos has come to the rescue by releasing – for free - a range of incredibly ‘Boring Boxes’ to help parents to hide their children’s gifts in plain sight. The Boring Boxes are disguised as packaging for everyday household appliances and includes options for a fridge, a hoover and a kettle. They aim to throw little hands off the scent, (unless your child has asked for a fridge for Christmas).
The Boring Boxes are free to collect in selected Argos stores and come in three sizes, ranging from small to large, depending on how many gifts parents need to hide. For those who can’t get their hands on a box, research has revealed that the most popular place to store presents is the wardrobe (65 per cent) followed by underneath a bed (41 per cent) and in the spare room (26 per cent).
The more unusual hiding places include the bathroom cabinet (14 per cent), in the garden (nine per cent) and if very desperate under the floorboards (seven per cent). Some parents have even resorted to paying for additional storage space (four per cent). Over a third – 35 per cent – admitted to hiding presents in some very odd places including the cat’s bed, bin bags or in a tumble drier.
When it comes to why parents are going to such lengths to secretly store presents, 74 per cent said the main reason is to keep the magic of Christmas alive, with 46 cent admitting that their child still believes Santa delivers their presents on Christmas morning.
Children in the UK believe in Santa up until age six on average, but when asked, 73 per cent of parents agreed that children are losing their belief in Santa earlier due to spending more time online and on social media.
Matt Leeser, Trading Director at Argos said: “Christmas can be a hectic time in a family household, without having to worry about where you’ll hide the presents you’ve bought. Our new range of ‘Boring Boxes’ are designed to help parents relax – the gifts can sit in plain sight, saving the reveal for the big day itself and keeping the magic of Christmas alive.”
The fully recyclable Boring Boxes are available to collect for free on Saturday, 10th December from the following Argos stores: Ashton Snipe Retail Park, Middlehaven, Plymouth Transit Way, Romford Gallows and Reading Forbury. The boxes are available for one day only, whilst stocks last.
