Often when we can’t express with words, we say it with gifts. It is easier to communicate our underlying need and sentiment and bridge the gap. Yes, expressions carry meaning and value and no matter what or why we give, they can provide a great way to explore new relationships, strengthen bonds, foster business growth and create a sense of belonging with one another. Which is why we exchange gifts during festive and special occasions and keep the momentum going

Transforming the gift –giving experience

The ritual of gift-giving has been going on for ages; only now the means of procuring gifts have evolved with the advent of digitisation, deeper internet penetration, and smartphone mobile devices. Moreover, the improved purchasing power of the millennials, their growth aspirations and their sophisticated tastes have led to the emergence of a huge gifting industry that is ushering in a new culture of gift-giving, where technology is completely changing the way people gift one another.

From offline to online

Look at the way online gifting has grown; it has changed the entire dynamics of the gifting industry. Because of e-commerce, multiple options of gifting ideas are available online that are not only unique, classy and personalised but offer great value for money. You just have to browse through the wide range of options, make a quick purchase anytime and from anywhere and have it delivered on the same day. Also with smartphones connecting people to the internet, more and more online purchases are happening through mobile apps.

Moving beyond traditional gifting

Going by the phenomenal growth of online gifting, the gift industry has categorised itself into two segments – personalised gifting and corporate gifting. Personalised gifting is quite a rage these days. People are actually moving beyond the traditional gifting options like edibles and greeting cards and are embracing unconventional and unique customised gifting ideas that translate a gift into an ultimate bonding experience.

Personalisation is more personal now

There are countless websites that offer multitudes of personalisation options for beautiful gifts ranging from home décor accessories to wall art to necklaces with letters that spell names and framed illustrations of families, initial- engraved items with personalised notes, customised mugs or cushions, personalised pens or calendars, personalised wine glasses, a wide range of personalised chocolate gifts and personalised calendars and many more. The list is endless

Creating memorable moments

Nowadays we gift regularly than ever before, let alone giving during festive occasions, anniversaries and weddings. Whether it is a get-together, housewarming ceremony, graduation function, or any other celebration, the all- increasing events provide ample opportunities for gift-giving. Personalisation has opened up a whole new world of imagination, creativity, and thoughtfulness, allowing us to gift a heart-warming experience and make lasting memories

The new face of corporate gifting

India has also witnessed a rise in the corporate gifting culture.

While organisations have been using Rewards, Recognition and other incentives to keep employees, happy, productive and motivated there has been a complete transformation in the way corporate gifting is done. Newer methods have evolved to deliver the entire R & R experience to clients and employees. Instead of considering gifting trophies and tangible gifts, organisations are leveraging available technological resources for gifting gift cards, reward cards, E-vouchers, branded gift cards, gift cards, virtual currency and many such incentives.

Technology is the key enabler

Earlier, R&R was done through products and merchandise, which involved huge challenges of logistics and on- time delivery. Companies often faced problems like delays in transit and loss of products. However, emerging technological solutions like e-gifting options have entirely transformed the corporate gifting landscape and the gifting industry by large

When social media speaks…

It makes a huge difference. These days, online gifting is being largely promoted on social networks. Social networking sites create greater awareness for gifting occasions like birthdays and anniversaries and inspire people to gift more and better. In facts, gifts can be given over long distances and in the last minute. According to studies, when people receive online gifts, they feel excited and motivated to give return gifts. Three-fourths of gift-givers on Facebook reported having received a gift in the past from the person to whom they gave the gift. The impact of social media phenomenal and it is evident from the way the gifting industry is growing by leaps and bounds.

Keep this in mind and be a winner (To be put in box)

• If you have a gift shop as well as your own website, make sure your website is dynamic, impacting and informative as it will project the first impression of your shop for your prospective customers. Also, your website needs to be in sync with your physical gift shop. It is important that your website and shop have a consistent look and feel so that it can create a similar experience for the customer.
• With the increased use of smartphone device; the social media content is now viewed mostly on a mobile device. Hence, as a gift retailer, it is imperative how you can adapt your business to evolving technologies and accommodate mobile and social-first users. Make your content unique and leverage social media to drive the traffic to your website.
• Creating attractive website headers, banners and designs to promote your gifting products motivates the buyer and make faster decisions. The most widely used MVC framework currently is CodeIgniter or Magento which is also an Open source software license.
• Point of sale system that is fully integrated with your website platform will make all the difference. Payment gateways like PayPal, Paytm are very popular in an online store for immediate payments.

With advanced technological platforms redefining the entire gift-giving experience, the gifting industry in India is setting a new benchmark while contributing to the growth of global gifting space. And this is just the beginning.