Gift wrapping is a service that many customers look for when they’re buying a present. Being able to order a gift that’s already ready to give as a present makes things easier and quicker for those with a busy schedule. If you’re a business looking for a way to maximise your revenue and add an easy extra service to your business, gift wrapping is a great option. We have some great tips about when and how to offer a gift-wrapping service.

Online checkout

An easy way to get customers to increase their basket value and spend a bit more on your website is to offer gift wrapping at the checkout. At this point, the customer has already found the items they want to buy and added them to the basket. Offering an option of gift wrapping won’t distract away from the main products you’re trying to sell. Instead, your customers will appreciate this upsell at this point in their shopping journey. Make sure it’s clear how much the gift wrapping costs and what’s included. This could be displayed as a pop-out box if customers are interested. It’s important not to take them out of the checkout journey once they’ve come this far. Make the selection of gift wrapping simple to prevent customers from stalling and getting distracted before paying for their goods. 

In-store

Gift wrapping can be a great service you can offer when customers come to visit your store. However, you need to ensure you have the time, staff and skills to gift wrap items quickly without holding up other customers. During busy periods such as Christmas, customers might become frustrated if your store is full of people getting their items gift-wrapped and there is a large queue. A separate counter for gift wrapping is a good alternative if you have space. If your shop rarely gets busy, then offering a gift-wrapping service at the main counter won’t be an issue. 

During holidays

If you want to make the most out of the addition of a gift-wrapping service, make sure you advertise it and tailor it to the main holidays. Use Christmas wrapping paper or small gift boxes with Christmas prints from November onwards. You could offer gift wrapping to suit the nearest occasion, for example, near Valentine’s day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. People will be seeking out this kind of gift, and your customers will appreciate wrapping. If you have a particular page or banner on your website dedicated to the season, make sure you mention your gift-wrapping service here and make it clear the wrapping is season specific. This may give your business an advantage over your competitors if they do not offer gift wrapping. 

Certain products

It might not be possible to offer gift wrapping on every item that you sell; some things might not fit in a gift box or could be too fiddly to wrap. Choose products that are more likely to be purchased as a gift. If you’re unsure, you can ask your customers after they’ve completed their purchase if the item was a gift and if they’d be interested in gift wrapping in the future. This type of information can be highly valuable to businesses as it can show them if gift wrapping would be a service their customer base would be interested in purchasing. It can also help you determine how profitable gift wrapping could be for your business. When asking this question, you may need to incentivise customers to answer by offering a discount, such as 10% off their next purchase. 

Evaluate the competition

To be competitive in business, you need to keep a close eye on your competitors and what they’re doing that’s new. If any of your competition begins to offer gift wrapping, it might be a sign that people are looking for this service. Evaluate how well your competitors provide gift wrapping, at what stage in the customer journey and at what price. This can help you improve your gift-wrapping service and ensure you’re competitive in the market. 

Gift wrapping can be a great way to make more money for your business. You must ensure you’re offering at the right time and for the right price to get it right.