by Laura Lee Winger

Created on: September 22, 2009   Last Updated: October 07, 2009

Ah, the season of holiday shopping, obligatory gift-giving and reciprocity is fast approaching once again! While this time-honored tradition is something most of us have been familiar with throughout our lives, mastery of the art of giving the perfect gift still eludes us. Thus, we often find our gifts being returned, and we find ourselves standing in long lines to exchange or return others' purchases in hopes of getting something better-suited to our tastes or needs. This is nothing to fret about; according to a survey conducted in 2008, more than a third of all gift recipients return gifts.

Among the most frequently-returned items are clothes. According to Mark McDevitt, a store manager at JC Penney, the greatest number of returns are actually exchanges for another size. "Mom still thinks you're a medium and you've really grown to an extra large," he comments. He also suggests coming in as early as possible if you do have to make an exchange, stating that "the size selection will be better the earlier you do it." An article in The Arizona Republic cites that up to 40% of clothing purchases are returned. When purchasing clothing for friends or family, consider whether or not the recipients would choose the item(s) themselves. Clues may be available if you know where they shop regularly, what colors they feel flatter them, what dress codes they have to adhere to, etc.

According to one Wal-Mart assistant manager, Jerry Peacock, a majority of the returns at his store are exchanges in appliances. These can be tricky gifts because there may be specific features that are important to the recipients, or the recipients may be more concerned with the physical appearance of the appliance. To make the best gift-giving decisions, do your homework on the features available and try to match the physical appearance of the appliances with the recipients' current appliances (or what they plan to have in their kitchen in the future). Depending on your familiarity with the recipient and his or her needs, use your best judgment to determine how the person is likely to use the appliance, which will dictate the features that may be most important.

These principles can be expanded to cover all gift-giving strategies. When giving jewelry, for example, it is generally a good idea to buy gifts that match in size and material with the recipient's current selection, especially the pieces he or she wears most often. While some people may say it's the thought that counts, finding a really

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