The Spirit of Gifting

Consumers may be taking a more thoughtful approach to holiday shopping and gift-giving this season.

With the retail industry predicting that consumers are likely to spend less this holiday season, it is more important than ever to understand what holiday shoppers will be buying and why. Increased spending in recent years on “experiential” gifts may take a turn in 2020, as shoppers look for tangible and meaningful alternatives that perhaps can deliver a different kind of “experience” closer to home.

Marketplace and Consumer Trends

Gifts for meaningful and lasting experiences at home

Limited opportunities for “experiences” outside the home will drive greater appreciation for tangible gifts that help create or recreate lasting and meaningful “experiences” at home.

Less travel to visit family and friends will inspire shoppers to put more thought into the gifts they give and send.
- Expected spending on travel/socializing away from home is down from last year (-34%).
- 30% of consumers say they will be sending more cards and gifts to those they can’t see in person.
- Nearly 7 in 10 people say they are shifting some of their spending from services to retail products.
Consumers will likely shop with purpose this holiday season to find meaningful gifts that deliver at home experiences:
- Gifts that celebrate newly discovered hobbies and creative expression, e.g. cooking, baking, gardening, crafts.
- Personalized gifts that are unique or artisan-crafted to express appreciation and care.
- Comforting gifts that spark joy and relieve stress, e.g. new and unique foods, beverages, wellness products, and gifts for pets.
- Tech and smart products that help create memories or celebrate connections with loved ones near and far.
- Home décor to help create a more festive holiday spirit at home.
Creating experiences beyond the gift and around the presentation will also engage consumers this holiday:
- Gifts uniquely wrapped or packaged to create excitement in the “unboxing” experience.
- Gifts that inspire social media sharing.

Product Highlights

Well Told Design

Well Told Design is run by four longtime friends living and working in different cities who turned a fun side project into a successful full-time business. Their mission is to create distinctive, well-made goods and gifts that tell your story and inspire you to live memorably. They offer custom map barware, drinkware, tools, accessories, kitchen and bar-top items. They are also into giving back and wanting their business to drive positive change in the world, so they make it a part of their mission to give back a portion of their proceeds to worthy causes. To date, they have supported more than 200 non-profit organizations of all sizes and causes across the U.S., from small local animal shelters to public schools to national organizations like Habitat for Humanity.

Homesick

Homesick was founded in 2016 and is a home fragrance and lifestyle brand with one simple goal: to bring joy to your home by helping you feel closer to the people, places and moments that matter most. These candles smell like home and are a gift that is as unique as your memories. They expanded the Homesick line to almost 200 different products representing all the things that matter most–from every U.S. state, to multiple cities and countries, to occasions, people and moments. Their candles are hand-poured in the U.S., using a natural soy wax blend with 100% organic cotton wicks and custom fragrance oils to deliver a long-lasting, great-smelling burn.

Goldbelly

At Goldbelly, they believe in the emotional power of food. For many of us, food is a language of love. It’s more than just nourishment. It’s memories, it’s connection, it’s comfort. Goldbelly understands how truly important their mission is. They bring a smile to people’s faces, an edible hug, a connection to a loved one even though you may not be with them, a moment of nostalgic comfort, a craving from a beloved food memory. They have also built a platform that empowers small shops, chefs & restaurants and inspires their passion.

Packed with Purpose

Packed with Purpose is a Woman-Owned business on a mission to create meaningful social impact while strengthening human connections. Since their launch in 2016, they have been committed to discovering “the best” products from across the United States and beyond to include in their curated gift collections. Crafted by purpose-driven organizations, these high-quality products are what make their gifts unique–each one representing an inspiring story of change and positively impacting our communities. From uplifting underserved women and others with barriers to employment to supporting sustainability efforts, they feel fortunate to curate memorable gifts that wow recipients while providing an effortless way for individuals and companies to create positive change. They have been told their gifts keep on giving–and they happily agree!

TP-Link WiFi Extender

Need to increase or improve WiFi coverage with everyone in the house chatting with friends and family? The TP-Link AC750 WiFi Extender has you covered. You can boost Internet WiFi coverage up to 1200 sq. ft. and connect up to 20 devices. You can also eliminate WiFi dead zones and enjoy lag-free connection to any type of device, including wired devices via fast ethernet port. The TP-Link can expand coverage for your smart phones, Smart TV, Fire Stick, Google Chromecast, Web Browsing, Alexa Echo, Ring and more!