"Re-gifting," the practice of giving someone a gift you already received, is thought to be a major faux pas.

But that's not always true, according to Judy Zaichkowsky, a business professor at Simon Fraser University who co-authored a recent study about the practice.

Published in the Journal of Consumer Marketing, the research found that many people have what are called "gift closets" -- personal troves of potential gifts. They're filled with a variety of items acquired in different ways: liquidation sales, spontaneous shopping, and gifts given to you that weren't suitable or that you just don't like. Many of the gifts were often purchased with no recipient or occasion in mind.

While it won't work in every case, Zaichkowsky tells CTVNews.ca that using a gift closet during the holiday season doesn't have to be a negative thing. For some, the gift closet can be a "life saver," she said. It's particularly useful for those who are overcome with seemingly never-ending gift lists.

"On average, the number of gifts people give for Christmas is 50," she said. "That's a lot of gift giving."

For some, there’s less holiday anxiety this year thanks to their gift closet. Out of 111 people surveyed in Zaichkowsky's study, co-authored by Thyra Uth Thomsen of the Copenhagen Business School, 77 per cent said they used gift closets for "convenience, thrift and to have a place for surplus or shopping items," the study reads.

The prevalence of the gifting strategy points to a thrifty culture, said Zaichkowsky. "We live in an abundant society," she said. "We don't really want to waste things. Some of us want to take advantage of good deals when we see them. For some people shopping is quite a good entertainment."

If Zaichkowsky's "gift closet" research is right, many Vancouver residents should be ready to receive umbrellas this holiday season. After a recent closing sale at the Umbrella Shop, items were flying off the shelves with major liquidation discounts. Gift closet aficionados would have eaten it up, Zaichkowsky said.

But there are some people for who you should avoid dipping into your gift closet, because "storage may affect the symbolic value of the gift," the study says.

Significant others should not be given gifts from the closet. "You would never want to give that person something that's been stored for a while," said Zaichkowsky.

Instead, keep your closet gifting to recipients who won't know any better, such as the young children on your list.

And never, ever dip into the closet to give candy or chocolate that can expire, or perfume, which is "extremely personal," Zaichkowsky warned.

"There are some things that you should absolutely never re-gift."