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FoundationalQualitative research· Peer-reviewed

Graves, Gifts, and the Bereaved Consumer: A Restorative Perspective of Gift Exchange

Drenten, J., McManus, K., & Labrecque, L. I. (2017). Consumption Markets & Culture, 20(5), 423–455. DOI: 10.1080/10253866.2017.1367680.

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Summary

Examines gift exchange in the context of bereavement through a restorative lens, including gifts left for deceased loved ones as a way the bereaved maintain a continued connection -- direct gift-giving research in a specific, sensitive occasion the broader gifting literature rarely covers.

Key findings

  • Gift exchange in bereavement can function restoratively, including gifts given to or left for a deceased loved one as a form of continued connection.

GiftNav takeaway

When bereavement is known, low-burden practical support and optional memory/remembrance gestures are both legitimate directions -- never assume a memorial item is universally welcome.

Limitations & cautions

Qualitative research on a sensitive, individually variable experience -- findings describe patterns observed, not a universal bereavement-gifting rule.

Themes

Used in these research topics

Last reviewed September 14, 2026.

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