If someone asks you what you got for Christmas last year and you find yourself drawing a blank, you are not alone, according to new research.

The poll of 2,000 Americans by Groupon found that people either forget or fail to use a signficant portion of their gifts.

Over half (53 per cent) said they had completely forgotten what they received for Christmas last year.

The research also found that people receive on average three forgettable gifts each Christmas and that one in six gifts are either completely untouched or never used again after January 1.

Over a third of those surveyed (35 per cent) said receiving a dud gift permanently affected their opinion of the person who gave it to them.

When asked what makes a gift memorable, over two-thirds (70 per cent) said it was loving the person who gave it to them.

Asked why they might give someone a bad gift, the majority said it was because 'I needed to get them something'. When asked why they thought someone would give them a bad gift, the most common reasons were that the gift giver was ticking a box, they thought the item was funny, they would have liked it themselves, or were trying to send a message.

Favourite gifts included clothes, dinner out at a local restaurant, electronics, a spa day, and a trip or getaway while the least popular were wrinkle creams, scales, exercise equipment, underwear, and cleaning supplies.

Despite the high chances of missing the mark, the average American will still shell out $184.51 on gifts this Christmas.

'It's incredibly stressful to find the perfect gift that our loved ones will cherish forever, but it doesn't have to be this way,' said Aaron Cooper, President of Groupon North America.

'We found that the gifts people remember the most are those that are given with love from someone they care about, fill a need, provide a great memory, have a sentimental meaning and result in compliments from other people.'