Flowers and plants less giftable, survey shows

Monday, 30 April 2007

Shoppers shunned flowers and plants as gifts last Christmas, according to consulting firm Unity Marketing in Stevens, Pa. Many shoppers instead opted for consumable and entertainment gifts.

Giftables is a term that describes products that are popular, affordable and appreciated gift ideas. Giftables include flowers, plants, candy, bath and body products, collectibles, candles and decorative items.

The company’s Gift Tracker survey showed the percentage of shoppers making gift purchases in the fourth quarter 2006 dropped 8 points.

Unity Marketing president Pam Danziger said gift retailers need to enhance the experience their products and shopping environments deliver.

“Giftables marketers have historically focused more of their efforts toward designing and development of new products,” Danziger said. “But that isn’t good enough anymore to reverse the trend away from giftables as a gift choice. They need to understand the experiences that consumers want when shopping for a gift, then transform their businesses around those experiences.”