The Gift and Home Channel, Blog Post

	John Saxtan, Editor-in-Chief of Giftware News, creates for the Gift & Home Channel his Editors Choice Treasure Hunt, great picks for 2008. In this second installment for 2008, John showcases products that he has found at the Winter Markets. Every supplier is listed with contact information, so that you can easily order these great picks for 2008.

>	Happy New Year!
	Happy New Year! It is time to take a deep breath, ...

Giveaways to drive traffic

Apr 2008 |

By: ambiencehome

Category: Promotions
Tags: giftwrap

Make this user a friend.

Blogs > Promotions > Giveaways to drive traffic

TUE

Offer gift bags/wrap as a servie or offer them for sale?

April 29, 2008 at 6:05PM

Ok, here is my question. Is it better to offer your customers gift wrapping free, as a service to them or to offer gift wrap items for sale? Market is coming up in June for me and I am trying to decide it I should look for a cute line of gift wrap items to sell or if I should continue to offer a bag with my store name and logo as the gift wrap. Yes it is advertising for me and a service for them, but it is rather expensive. You know it has to include either the printed bag or a sticker to place on the bag, and of coarse you have to include some cute tissue paper with it. I am just wondering what other retailers are doing? I have been here a year and I am wishing I had not spent so much on cute bags in the beginning. Thanks

278 Views | 1 Comment

1 comment

Submitted by
someone

Apr 29,2008 8:29 p.m.

Store Owner - Have been in retail business for 30 years+When we had our store in Minnesota, we did glossy cream colored gift boxes and tied ribbon around it and added a bow. We would change the color of the ribbon to match the season. We also had pale blue and pink ribbon for baby gifts. We had gold embossed stickers with our logo. Our customers insisted that they had to have a sticker, even if they were going to wrap it themselves. They wanted the recipient to know that the item came from our store! Nowadays, it is just so expensive to wrap a box. We did buy white boxes for our new store. We buy inexpensive wired ribbon from Costco to put around the box. We found a cute plaid for spring. We have always had a policy that the item had to be over $20 to get free gift wrap. Otherwise, we charged for it. I don't think that most customers expect to get free boxes, etc. these days. We have the frosted bags and most customers are very happy to get that bag with tissue and a free bow on the handle. I think that they just appreciate the convenience. By the way, we made up bows in our spare time so that they were always ready to go. I just use nice heavier plastic bags for my other merchandise. I just made sure that they could be recycled. Good luck!

Add Comment

You must be a registered user to add comments. Register Now or Login

> Can independent retailers learn from Big Boxes?

> Store Design

> Who has the best?

		Retail Uninterrupted
		The Street Journal
		Barb Crowhurst Retail Makeover