Gift Set Trends
The online gift basket and gift set industry has consistently been growing 3-5% year-over-year for the last ten years and there is no end in sight. With this growth has been an influx of smaller online eCommerce entities offering a plethora of gift options to satisfy virtually every type of season, holiday, and person. We're going to talk about the top five growing U.S. trends.
Gifting variety and pricing are leading the way followed by convenience1 Online retail knows the convenience of online shopping is inherent. There seems to be no shortage of concepts from the virtual 'boutiques' of the world on what is trending for gift boxes and gift sets. Gift sets can offer huge variety and potential savings for the smart shoppers of the world.
Rise of the Kits.
Gift sets and gift boxes are appealing for a number of reasons. Well curated gift sets can provide a better gifting experience, introduce your loved one to new products and brands and provide bigger bang for your buck. You will continue to see a variety of gift boxes, gift sets in 2020 and gift subscription services continue to grow in popularity, but as of today we at GUUD wonder if there is true sticking power for subscription services.
Make it personal.
With the increase in the industry there is a growing number of options to appeal to what a gift giver is looking for personalization is a trend that is coming up in 2020, especially amongst corporate gift-giving.
Do you have a sister that is really into hiking but is an eco-friendly kind of person ~there's a gift set out there for her. Do you have a mom that may not feel she's can embrace a full-on zero waste living lifestyle but want to buy more responsibly, there's options for her, too.
Sustainability.
With news of rising seas, melting snow-caps and raging wildfires filling the news cycles of the world, most of us are waking up to the fact that we need to look around and think about how we can change our habits to the betterment of the environment.
People are waking up to the fact that most of those gift baskets filled with a million little foil wrapped snack, cookies, crackers and wine are not necessarily the most sustainable gift you can get for you favorite aunt who lives in the next state. Understanding the goods in that basket are coming from sources all over the world, it adds up. The shear amount of plastic and foil packaging, wrapping and shipping material can add up. When you take into account that 42% of the plastic waste going into landfills is made up of product packaging.
Packaging aside people are discovering there are a wealth of new products available that offer beautiful and affordable alternatives to their plastic counterparts. So trending in 2020 and beyond will be the growing interest to look past the big carbon footprint of those classic gift baskets and consider gifts that have a carbon neutral stamp. GUUD Brand gift sets are always carbon neutral and sustainable.
Gifting with a purpose.
Social responsibility and sustainable gifting go hand-in-hand in our mind. And in the past four years brands have piled on board to embrace the causes that matter most. Great examples are brand juggernauts Patagonia and REI who have separately supported environmental non-profit organizations at the local, national and global level2. As a general trend, brands will continue to align themselves with charitable organizations to help define them within their market and build deeper brand loyalty.
Why?
Because it works. Whether truly altruistic or merely aspirational, the majority (84%) of consumers say it is important to them that a company supports charitable causes, with some willing to take it a step further when corporate giving aligns with their own beliefs3. This trend will continue to increase as brands continue to make positive connection with charitable causes that help define them and make positive associations with their consumers.
As a brand, we support a number of charitable organizations associated with combating the causes of global warming. As a company we are dedicated to selling sustainable products, at affordable prices with minimal packaging.
SOURCES:
1. Deloitte 2019 Holiday Retail Survey
2. The Drum | Cause marketing: examples of the best and worst brand purpose campaigns
3. Mintel Press | 73% of American consider companies charitable work when making a purchase
