Trends for Online Gift Giving

Gift-giving has been an integral part of human culture for centuries, and with the rise of online shopping, the act of giving gifts has become even more popular. Online gifting has become the norm for many consumers, and as a result, consumer trends and behavior have shifted in recent years. As a marketer, it’s crucial to understand these trends and behaviors to take advantage of them and create successful online gift-giving campaigns. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the online gift-giving, consumer trends, behavior, and what marketers can do to take advantage of these trends.

Online Gift Giving: An Overview

The advent of e-commerce has made online gift-giving an increasingly popular option. It allows consumers to shop from the comfort of their own homes and eliminates the need to visit physical stores. Online gift-giving has become particularly popular across the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people have been staying at home and avoiding in-person gatherings.

Recent studies show that Online gift-giving is expected to grow by 15% in 2023.

Online gifting has become popular because it offers a convenient and cost-effective way for customers to shop for gifts and provides a greater selection of products and customization options.

Online gift-giving provides a hassle-free way for customers to shop for gifts without leaving the comfort of their homes. This is especially advantageous for those who face challenges such as limited mobility, a busy schedule, or living far away from family and friends. 

With online shopping, customers can browse through a wider range of products and have them delivered directly to the recipient’s doorstep, making the gift-giving experience more convenient and accessible for all. 

Online retailers are also able to offer lower prices than traditional brick-and-mortar stores, due to lower overhead costs.

Online shopping allows customers to read reviews and ratings from other customers. Social proof about the products helps them make informed decisions about their purchases.

Online Gift Purchase Trends
Online Gift Purchase Trends

Consumer Trends and Behavior in Online Gift Giving

  • 1.

    Personalization
One of the main consumer trends in online gift-giving is the desire for personalization. Consumers want to give unique gifts tailored to the recipient’s interests and preferences. This trend has led to the rise of personalized gift options, such as customizable jewelry, engraved items, and photo gifts.
  • 2.

    Convenience

Another trend in online gift-giving is the desire for convenience. Consumers want to purchase gifts quickly and easily, without spending much time searching for the perfect item. This trend has led to the popularity of Gift cards, Gift hampers, and Subscription boxes, which offer a curated selection of items based on the recipient’s interests.

  • 3.

    Need for Multiple Delivery Options

Online retailers also offer several easy delivery options, including the ability to have gifts shipped directly to the recipient’s address. This is especially convenient for people who live far away from their loved ones.

  • 4.

    Sustainability & Ethical Practices

Finally, consumers are increasingly concerned about sustainability and ethical practices. They want to purchase gifts from companies that prioritize sustainability, fair labor practices, and ethical sourcing. This trend has led to the rise of eco-friendly gift options, such as reusable bags, organic products, natural products, and sustainable clothing.

Taking Advantage of Online Gift-Giving Trends as a Marketer

As a marketer, it’s important to understand consumer trends and behaviors to create successful online gift-giving campaigns. Here are some strategies you can use to take advantage of these trends:

  • 1.

    Personalization

Offer personalized gift options, such as customized jewellery, monogrammed items, or personalized photo gifts. Use data analytics to create targeted marketing campaigns based on consumer preferences and interests.

Studies show that, 72% of consumers prefer to receive gifts that are personalized. 61% of consumers are more likely to shop with a retailer that offers personalized gift options.

58% of consumers are willing to pay more for a personalized gift.

  • 2.

    Convenience

Offer easy and convenient gift options, such as gift cards or gift boxes. Make sure your website is user-friendly and optimized for mobile devices. 

  • 3.

    Sustainability

Highlight your company’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. Use eco-friendly packaging materials and promote sustainable gift options on your website.

A Deloitte survey reported that 57% of consumers consider sustainability when making a purchase, and 54% are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products.

  • 4.

    Social Media

Use social media platforms to promote your online gift options and engage with your audience. Encourage customers to share their gift-giving experiences on social media and offer incentives for doing so.

As online gift-giving continues to gain popularity among consumers, marketers must stay abreast of the trends and behaviors driving this trend. 

To truly capture customers’ attention and differentiate yourself from the competition, it’s crucial to innovate and experiment with new and creative approaches that go beyond the tried-and-true methods. This may involve exploring emerging technologies, offering unique experiences, or tapping into untapped markets. By thinking outside of the box and taking calculated risks, you can establish a distinct brand identity and build a loyal customer base. One such solution is Kodie, a post-purchase digital gift message service that adds an extra emotional quotient to the online gifting process.

A report by Epsilon revealed that 80% of consumers were more likely to make a purchase when brands offered personalized experiences. Adding personalized digital gift messages can significantly enhance the overall customer experience and drive sales.

Kodie helps you offer a unique personalized experience to your customers, stand out from the competition, and gain customer loyalty.

Offering a post-purchase digital gift message service is a unique strategy for marketers to take advantage of online gift-giving trends. Kodie allows consumers to include a free personalized digital message along with their gift order, which adds an emotional touch to the gift.

After the customer makes a gift purchase, you can allow them to add a personalized video message or an Instagram-style photo message along with an AI-powered text message for their loved ones. Kodie then keeps track of the gift package and delivers the gift message directly to the gift recipient’s mobile phone perfectly timing it with the gift package delivery. This creates a truly delightful and memorable experience for the gift sender as well as the recipient. To know how Kodie works, do visit this link which gives in detail explanation of how it works.

According to Harvard Business Review, Personalized gift messages evoke positive emotions and strengthen the emotional connection between the sender, recipient, and the brand. This emotional bond leads to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

In addition to enhancing the overall gift-giving experience, offering a digital gift message service can also provide marketing benefits. By allowing customers to include a personalized message, you encourage them to share their purchases with others, which can increase brand exposure. The gift recipients turn into prospective customers. There’s more. After the gift sender and the recipient view the gift message they can be re-engaged through branded ads on Kodie’s brand page. Branded ads can help acquire new customers, drive traffic to the store, and increase sales. Furthermore, Kodie’s analytics can help track customer preferences, brand page impressions, and engagement. This information can be used to create targeted marketing campaigns in the future.

Kodie’s brand page can help increase brand awareness, gain new customers, and increase sales

To understand more about How Kodie works watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcCkDaU4Afg

Offering Kodie’s digital gift message service is an effective strategy for marketers to take advantage of online gift-giving trends. By providing this service as a post-purchase option, you can enhance the overall gift-giving experience, improve brand loyalty, increase brand exposure, and gather valuable data for future marketing campaigns without affecting your checkout conversion funnel in any way.

Install Kodie from the Shopify app store today and start reaping the benefits of this powerful post-purchase tool right away. In case you have any queries or want to request a demo get in touch with us. Our support team will be happy to assist you.