small business
; Find out if the recipient has
any dietary or cultural limitations affecting the items
you plan to send.
; Avoid dispatching a gift
blindly without tasting/test-ing the product(s) first or
at least getting a referral
from someone you trust.
; Make sure that a shipped
basket can be delivered
punctually—without content damage or spoilage—
and reach the intended
beneficiary properly without
inconvenience.
; Don’t order gifts that will
spoil or melt or freeze
during hot or cold seasons
unless it’s a rush delivery
and special precautions
are taken.
; Try to choose a basket or
container that can be functionally or creatively reused.
; Don’t procrastinate—
overnight shipping is very
expensive.—EJM
Gift basket
planning
The Costco Connection
Costco members will find a wide variety of gift
baskets available at Costco locations, and an even
wider variety on Costco.com. Want to create your
own? See page 70 for tips.
ily in stores or online, with the assurance that all
items have been carefully matched and packaged for
a compact, handsome presentation. While delivering a gift basket in person is a classy touch, many
opt for the convenience of professional shipping,
which is often bundled into the total price at a discounted rate.
Choosing the contents
Deciding on the right arrangement of edibles or
other goodies that will make the recipient smile
requires a bit of careful planning.
“Think about the recipient’s personality and
what they would want based on their hobbies,
interests and where they shop,” Najafi says. “Be cre-
ative and think outside the box.”
Retail gift baskets come in many sizes and vari-
eties, including gourmet sweets, deli delights, wine
assortments, golf accessories, gardening goods, culi-
nary collections, nursery items for new moms and
pampering spa bundles. Expect to pay generally
between $25 for a small personal package to $300 or
more for deluxe creations that can be enjoyed by the
entire household or office.
“Remember to put a little something personal
in the basket—like a handwritten letter or photograph—that lets the person know you were thinking
of them when you purchased it,” says Najafi.
By Erik J. Martin
DOES HUNTING FOR the ideal present for a
loved one, friend, client or co-worker drive you
crazy? Don’t become a basket case—give a gift basket instead, which is a simple solution during the
hectic holiday season.
Gift baskets—which include gift boxes, towers
and other containers—are popular choices for personal or corporate gifts, as evidenced by sales statistics. Industry consulting firm Sweet Survival
estimates that the North American gift basket market is currently valued at $7.2 billion. And consumer food gifting overall grew to $11.15 billion in
2012, an increase of 2. 5 percent from 2011, according to Packaged Facts, a marketing research firm.
A smart idea
Home entertaining expert and best-selling
author Cheryl Najafi says gift baskets are increasingly preferred because they include items that
show recipients you know them personally and
acknowledge their tastes.
“Gift cards can seem impersonal. But gift baskets are a smart choice when you want to buy a collection of small items that can be put together to
make it look like a substantial gift,” she says. As the
economy has tightened and people’s schedules have
become overbooked in recent years, consumers
have grown more selective about the presents
they buy, says Debbie Quintana, founder of the
Gift Basket Association in San Jose, California,
and a Costco member. “The ability to customize
a gift basket or make it tailored to what the recipient will truly enjoy makes this a more special choice
than something generic,” she says.
Additionally, gift baskets can be purchased eas-
How to pick the perfect gift
basket this season
economy has tightened and people’s schedules have
e
g
POPCORNOPOLIS
Thinking inside
the basket
