IanOwning a gift shop is quite different from owning a regular retail store. An online gift store offers customers several advantages. They can browse across an array of stores and then decide on one. One can sit in one continent and gift another through online gift stores. The Christmas holiday season, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and such are busy times for online gift shops.
What are the aspects that matter when owning an online gift shop?
Sentimental value
While selecting artifacts and merchandise for your store, you will have to keep in mind that you are not running a store. You are running a gift store. Gifts need to have a personal touch. They should convey joyousness and celebration. Your gifts must bring a smile on people’s faces.
Presentation
Gifts generally need to look aesthetic. And in an online gift store, it needs to have a set of photographs that do justice to the artifact. So, have a flattering set of photographs for each gift you display. Also make sure that the gifts are really what you portray in your online store. It is not good for your reputation if you portray some fresh and exotic orchids but deliver a bunch of droopy flowers.
Packaging
When a customer buys something for himself, he doesn’t care much about gift wrapping. A very important aspect of gifting is that it has to be packed neatly in gift wrapping paper. While making a sale online, ask the customer how he wants the gift to be packaged. If possible, display your wrapping paper choice as well. Offer customized packaging preferences for better appeal. Make sure you receive form the customer, a personal message that’s to be written in the card accompanying the gift. A lot of gifts- curios and such are fragile. So, you will have to package the gifts ensuring that they will not get damaged in transit. If it is a box of chocolates, you will have to factor temperature and humidity for the entire transit time. Your flowers have to stay fresh well until you make the delivery.
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Themes
Include a gift that is right for every gifting occasion. The usual suspects are of course, flowers, wine, chocolates, cards, jewelry and watches. Do some research and have an array of gifts that cater to all demographics- something for every age group, gender, religion. Liaise with artisans from across the world, if you can, to achieve diversity in your gifts catalogue. For the unsure customer who wants to play it safe, market the option of gift certificates.
On time delivery
This is the most important part of running an online gift store. If a customer mentions that his mother’s birthday falls on a certain day and requests delivery on that day, you HAVE to make absolutely sure that the lady gets the present on that day. There is no way you can run an online gift store without getting your delivery right. You cannot afford to mess with delivery. But holiday season is when shipping carrier’s like FedEx and UPS have trouble delivering at the right time! Proper planning and shipment auditing will help manage the situation much better every year.
Here is an account of holiday season rush and how it affects gifting.
