How your e-commerce business can cash in on the gifting market

If your online store doesn’t have a gifting section, you’re missing out on a very lucrative sales avenue! With competition fierce this Peak Season, these are the e-commerce gifting trends and strategies you need to know to win more customers.

The top gifting market trends to cash in on this Peak Season

1. Personalized gifts

There's a reason we’re putting this first on our list. Personalization is hugely important in the gifting sector – in fact, 85% of consumers say it is one of the biggest factors that determines the perfect gift¹. Buyers want to be able to customize their gift purchases to make them extra special for the recipient – and they’ll be willing to pay more to do so.

Here are some nice personalization touches your e-commerce business could offer:

Depending on the products you sell, you could offer to engrave, embroider or brand them with the recipient’s name or initials
At the checkout stage, allow the customer to add a message to the recipient to be included with the gift
Offer gift wrapping, and let the customer choose the color and design

2. Sustainable gifts

Sustainability is a big trend this Peak Season. 79% of consumers are considering sustainability in their holiday shopping this year, whilst 76% are even willing to pay more for eco-friendly products². These tips will help your business appeal to these shoppers:

Create a “sustainable gifts” page on your e-commerce website featuring your fair trade / ethically sourced products. A dedicated tab on your menu will help customers find this page quickly, too.
Be clear about your products’ sustainability credentials but beware of “greenwashing” – if you’re saying a product is vegan, for example, be sure you have the certification to authenticate your claims.
Offer sustainable packaging. Prioritize recyclable, biodegradable and compostable material options. Think minimalism, too – sending out products to customers in swathes of excessive packaging will reflect badly on your brand.

graphic image of sustainable shopping activities

3. Technology-enabled gifting

The global digital gift card market size was estimated at US$310.1 billion in 2022, and is expected to grow to around US$1.2 trillion by 2032³. Technology and AI are enabling a new, exciting range of gift cards that deliver more memorable experiences.

Offer digital gift cards. A convenient buying experience for the customer with a big bonus for your business: it’s estimated that nearly three-quarters of people who visit a store to purchase a gift card for their friend or family member ends up spending some money themselves⁴. Furthermore, research shows that the average gift card shopper spends $38 more than the preloaded amount on the gift card⁵.
Tap into tech to enhance the customer experience. Retailers can now enable customers to personalize digital gift cards with customized designs, photos, videos, music and animations. QR codes can be embedded, linking to augmented reality and interactive experiences to deliver recipients a truly memorable experience.

4. Health and wellbeing gifts

Fitness trackers, meditation kits, candles, sleep masks, skincare…the range of wellbeing products out there is vast, driven by a booming consumer trend for better self-care. This year, many people will choose to give such products to loved ones for a more thoughtful gift experience.

Offer subscription models. Health and wellbeing is an ongoing priority for customers, so offering products and services as a recurring subscription will be highly valued – whilst providing your business with recurring revenue.

Monitor trends on social media. There are over 157 million posts with “health and wellness” hashtags on TikTok alone⁶. Keep a close eye on what people are posting and talking about to discover trending products your business could sell.

5. Social media for gift inspiration

Over half (54%) of Gen Zers and 45% of millennials intend to use social media channels to discover gift ideas this holiday season⁷. If these shoppers are your target group, it’s time to sharpen up your social media strategy.

Use a content calendar to help you plan and manage your holiday sales campaign.
Offer deals, discounts and promo codes exclusive to your social media followers.
Watch your competitors’ social channels to see what type of campaigns they’re running – and where you can offer something better.
Keep an eye on trends – particularly on TikTok – and join in the fun!

The global gifting market size is expected to grow to US$94 billion in 2031 – up from US$65 billion in 2021(8)

Nine e-commerce gifting strategies to boost your sales

1. Prioritize the customer experience

Ensure that visitors to your e-commerce website know right away that you sell gifts. Have fun with your homepage design – lots of festive-themed banners, animations and photos will let customers know they’ve come to the right place for their holiday shopping.

Put a dedicated “Gifts” tab on the homepage, for quick navigation, and allow customers to filter their search by popular categories, such as “gifts for women”, “gifts for men”, or “romantic gifts”.

graphic image of DHL courier handing parcel to woman

2. Share gift ideas

Many holiday shoppers will head online to buy gifts without knowing exactly what they want. That’s when you should swoop in with some carefully thought-out gift guides to inspire them! It will pay off: over half of shoppers are more likely to return to an online store that recommends products⁹.

Use a creative headline to make an impact: “10 gift ideas to wow Moms this Christmas,” or even “Gift ideas for fussy people.”

3. Curate gift collections

Make things easy for indecisive or busy customers with ready-made gift hampers. Carefully choose complementary products and put them together in bundles to go.

graphic image of a recycling sign, folded clothes and a box

4. Let customers be picky

In a survey by INQIQA¹⁰, 85% of consumers said that gift suitability was the most important reason to buy a gift or not – miles ahead of price (12%) and delivery options (3%). So, let your customers curate their own gift “bundles” by selecting several products from your site to be put into a special hamper. This way they can gift something exactly to the recipient’s taste.

5. Suggest extras

Cross-selling is a great way for you to give your customers some extra gift ideas whilst earning you some bonus sales. For example, if you’re selling a necklace, why not suggest a matching bracelet at the point of sale – with a special discount if they’re bought together? You could also display a “customers who bought this item also bought…” product list next to the item they’re buying. This sales tactic is proven to improve conversion rates.

6. Share last-minute gifting ideas

Inevitably, some shoppers will leave things to the last moment – presenting your business with a sales opportunity. Offering gift cards is a great way to entice these buyers – a convenient, ready-to-go option that you can send digitally for instant delivery.

7. Offer subscription boxes

These are a unique and creative gift idea that have the benefit of generating recurring revenue for your business. Create a box with your best-selling products, or allow the gifter to curate the first box themselves.

8. Make fast shipping a priority

Partnering with an express specialist like DHL means you can be sure of fast shipping – and your customers will be able to track their order right up to the moment it arrives at the gift recipient’s door. Be clear about holiday delivery cut-off dates on your website so that customers aren’t left disappointed.