Gift-giving is an age-old tradition that has been taken up by modern e-commerce businesses. Oftentimes, when we talk about gifts, we think about Christmas as the most obvious season to put our best efforts into gift-buying and gift-giving.
However, we forget that there are other seasons and special occasions all year-round that also require efforts to buy and give gifts. One occasion in particular that is right around the corner is Valentine’s Day (which we think requires more gift-giving efforts compared to Christmas).
The gifting market is just for Christmas or Black Friday, but it is A YEAR-ROUND RETAIL OPPORTUNITY.
If you’re an e-commerce business looking for an opportunity to increase sales this year, this blog post is for you. Here are some ways you can make the most of 2023 through the gifting market.
Keep an eye on monthly holidays
Wherever you are in the world, we all celebrate or observe holidays every month. Some of these holidays open great opportunities for gift-giving, such as:
Valentine’s Day
Love month is here. Consumers put in their best efforts to find gifts for Valentine’s Day, even going the extra mile just to make their loved ones feel special on this very special day. Offer your customers with gifts that emphasize the love month with packaging that’s custom-made for the season.
Mother’s Day
Mothers have a special place in our hearts – AND THAT’S A FACT. It’s no wonder why consumers spend time to look for amazing gifts to give to their moms on Mother’s Day. If you have something special for all the moms out there, you can create a “Mother’s Day themed” marketing campaign on social media, or release products that would fit this special occasion.
Father’s Day
How can we ever forget about our dads? They also deserve gifts with special meanings to them for Father’s Day, whether it’s a “World’s Best Dad” mug, their favorite men’s wear, or accessories for their car. Consumers will look for men’s products as gifts for Father’s Day. If you happen to sell some, it’s a great opportunity for you to step up your e-commerce game for this particular holiday.
Grandparents’ Day
Some of us may not seem to celebrate this special occasion, but it is also a great opportunity to offer customers with items that will make Grandma and Grandpa feel extra special.
4th of July (USA)
In the US, Americans go the extra mile to celebrate 4th of July. Some of them even go ahead and give gifts to friends, family members, and loved ones. If your e-commerce store is based in the US, offer your customers with products that will make them feel more patriotic, proud, and excited.
Canada Day (Canada)
Are you based in Canada? This holiday is a great retail opportunity for you. Create a “Canada Day themed” marketing campaign and offer your customers with products they can give as gifts for their friends and loved ones in celebration of this very special day.
Christmas
Who wouldn’t forget about the most obvious season of gift-giving? When we talk about Christmas, selling gifts to customers is a no-brainer. Shopping season also occur around this time of the year. As soon as the holiday season approaches, spend time to prepare your store, products, and marketing campaign so you don’t miss an opportunity to present your products to potential customers.
New Year’s Eve / New Year’s Day
Some people kickstart their year with a BANG (literally), while others do it by giving gifts to their friends and family. Although it’s uncommon to give gifts for the New Year, some people still do it to express their gratitude to those they’ve shared their year with. Offer your customers with gifts they can give that will make the start of the year more special and memorable for their friends, family, and loved ones.
Don’t ignore everyday occasions
All of us have personal milestones in life to celebrate, whether it’s a promotion, a new baby, graduation, birthdays, marriage, anniversaries, or reunions. There is a high demand in the gifting market for special everyday occasions.
As an e-commerce business, you should not turn a blind eye on such opportunities where you can offer something special to your customers who are celebrating their milestones in life.
You can offer special deals and bundles on your products for these everyday occasions. Ready your products in case a customer requests for special packaging for a specific occasion.
Customize your marketing campaign on social media to convey a message tailored to a specific event – like a birthday, baby shower, bar-mitzvah, wedding, anniversary, or reunion.
Remember, just because it’s not a holiday, it doesn’t mean it’s not special. Take note that personal milestones that are celebrated are always special. So, make the most of everyday occasions by offering the best of your products for customers who are shopping for gifts.
Give customers the BANG for their BUCK
Customers want to be valued. As an e-commerce business, what efforts do you do to give value to your customers? Do you show value through your products, packaging, delivery, and customer support?
Remember, your customers want to give the best gifts for their loved ones and they expect you to deliver the best service for them. By doing so, you show value not only to your customers but also to the recipients of their gifts.
Show value through these 4 aspects:
1. Quality products
Whatever it is that you’re selling, you’d want to make sure your products are in par with the standards of your customers. Consumers look for quality. Look for ways to increase the quality of your products. Don’t be intimidated by your competitors. Ensure the quality of your products, market strategically, and avoid offering mediocre items to customers.
2. Safe and Stylish Packaging
For a consumer, the most exciting part of online shopping is receiving and opening their package. It’s way more exciting if they received the items intact and without damage. Safe and stylish packaging is another way to show value to your customers.
Be creative with your packaging, from the design to the choice of materials. But make sure that your packaging is safe enough for shipping and delivery.
3. Logistics and Fulfillment
How long will your products be delivered from your physical store to your customer’s doorstep? Customers want to receive their orders on time and they hate it when their parcels are being delayed. You can choose to deliver orders to your customers yourself or partner with a 3rd party logistics company for long-distanced orders.
Although problems with logistics and fulfillment doesn’t come from your end, you are still responsible in choosing the logistics company to delivery your packages to your customers. Choose a trusted company that can guarantee fast, safe, and efficient delivery.
4. Excellent Customer Support
Customer support is always part of any e-commerce business. Customer will look for an easy and efficient way to communicate with you regarding their inquiries, concerns, or complaints.
Giving customers access to excellent customer support is another way to show value. Whether it’s via phone call, email, or your social media channels, giving customers an easy way to communicate with you shows that you care for them.
Showing value is the best gift you can give to your customers. Both customers and gift-receivers are satisfied when you provide the best products and services any e-commerce business can give.
The Takeaway
The gifting market doesn’t only open retail opportunities during specific big holidays – IT ALSO OPENS RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES ALL YEAR-ROUND. Ignore small holidays and everyday occasions and you will surely miss out on a slice of the cake.
Never miss a single opportunity to offer gift-worthy products to your customers this 2023. Step up your game in the e-commerce business by keeping an eye on the calendar for holidays and everyday special occasions.
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