Selling Gift Baskets with No Foods

Posted on January 30, 2009 
Filed Under Products and Supplies, Startup Help

Embellished bags are beautiful gifts in basketsAnna asks:

“I want to make baskets with gifts rather than with just food. Can I make money with that?”

Absolutely. When I began my business in 1990, I started by including all gift items. The only edible product in my baskets was a handful of lollipops with my business name pre-printed on the candy.

I launched with all gifts because I wasn’t sure, at the time, if my city’s laws allowed me to store and sell pre-packaged foods from my home base.

Some of my most-popular items included:

  • Plush animals (these sold very well for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day)
  • Tea pots, tea cups and saucers (everyone loved the patterns)
  • Soaps and spa accessories (grooming products are still very popular)
  • Baby items (difficult to keep in stock because they sold fast)
  • Corporate desk gifts (paperweights, frames, and specialty Post-its were favorites)

    • As with food baskets, the marketing you choose to promote your all-gift baskets must be positioned to help you reach the intended audience.

    That’s what I did, and my baskets sold quickly.

    I constantly reminded customers that the gifts would last a lifetime. That’s what worked for me. Perhaps that same type of message will also work for you.

    Related articles to learn, grow, and profit:

    1. Three Places to Find Foods, Gifts, and More
    2. Where Can I Find Gift Basket Industry Information?
    3. Buying Gift Cards for Gift Baskets

    Comments

    6 Responses to “Selling Gift Baskets with No Foods”

    1. Kathy on February 1st, 2009 1:20 pm

      I sell only a few gift baskets a year right now, but basically, I agree with this mostly gifts idea. As a purchaser of gift baskets, the cost of the “foods only” is sometimes a factor for me NOT to purchase. I would want my recipient to have something from the basket to remember me or the occassion with. I think about what I would want to recieve, and mostly its the ‘gifts’ in the basket, the goodies (food stuff) are extras.

    2. Shirley George Frazier on February 1st, 2009 2:06 pm

      Kathy,

      What you share is quite beneficial from a designer’s and buyer’s point of view.

      Gifts are an item that’s very important to some buyers and not to others. It’s a factor which must always be considered as each gift is created.

    3. Elaine McCool on February 1st, 2009 6:37 pm

      I like to include at least one non-food item in every gift basket, for the reason that Kathy mentioned. Spa baskets haven’t sold that well for me — perhaps because I don’t personally like that kind of gift, but baskets full of cooking aids are another story! I also like this type as a designer because I don’t have to worry about perishable inventory.

    4. Shirley George Frazier on February 2nd, 2009 7:12 am

      Elaine,

      I feel the same as you state – that gift items don’t perish, so they great to add into gift baskets.

    5. shelby husband on March 1st, 2009 2:20 pm

      I think the way you present your baskets can cause slow sells or no sells. If your baskets look good inside with flowers that match what your have inside really tells the buyer that your spent time and effort to make each basket special. I also think putting a lot of cheap products in your baskets is a No! NO!. People do shop and they no whats out there so take time to get good products on clearance or sale. I started a wedding business on making gift baskets because of good products and beautiful embellishments inside.

    6. Shirley George Frazier on March 3rd, 2009 2:33 pm

      Shelby,

      You make several excellent points about merchandise and ensuring that a product’s quality is considered over and above other attributes.

      I’m so glad you shared this, and I wish you continued success.