Gift Packaging Ideas for Online Retailers
GIFT PACKAGING IDEAS FOR ONLINE RETAILERS
How to wow your customers with stylish and cost effective ecommerce packaging for any time of year
CONTENTS
BUYING GIFTS ONLINE
WHY ECOMMERCE GIFT PACKAGING MATTERS
For ecommerce business owners, it’s important to consider how to make your gift packaging designs stand out. Consumers are looking for a memorable and enjoyable experience when they purchase gifts online. Thoughtful, creative gift packaging creates special moments and leaves a lasting impression on customers and the people they buy gifts for. With the right design elements, you can turn ordinary product delivery into an immersive experience and make your customers feel valued, helping your designs to stand out and communicating your brand values.
Unique gift packaging is one of the best investments you can make for your ecommerce business – not only will this improve customer loyalty, but it can also increase sales.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to use your packaging choices to drive revenues and create meaningful and unforgettable experiences for your customers. To find out more, please call one of our packaging design team on 01923 220055
THE GIFT LIST
HOW TO DESIGN CREATIVE GIFT PACKAGING FOR ANY TIME OF YEAR
Creative gift packaging doesn’t have to be overcomplicated. By breaking down the design elements of gift packaging to focus on material quality and the customer experience, you can design beautiful, personal, and exciting packages for any product that will make your customers as excited for their friends or family members to open their presents as they would be had they bought them for themselves!
Gift boxes
A well-crafted, unique gift box is a great way to make your customer’s gift look extra special. Invest in boxes in different sizes and shapes to suit dimensions and nature of your products. For example, for jewellery, you might choose small heart-shaped or star-shaped boxes, whereas for clothing items, go for larger boxes with bolder patterns and distinctive branding.
Gift bags
Gift bags are just as important to gift packaging as boxes. They provide a visually distinctive way to showcase your products, but also make it easy for customers and their recipients to reuse their packaging for storage or even other gifts. When specifying gift bags, carefully consider the size of your items and use appropriate sized bags, with sufficient strength to protect your products and preserve the appearance of the bag itself. Also consider the material and colour of the bag, as this will set the tone for your product.
Wrapping
Pre-wrapped presents save customers time and demonstrate that you really care about their purchase. Consider using bespoke patterned wrapping paper or coloured tissue paper for a vibrant and individual aesthetic. For added protection for ecommerce goods and their delicate packaging, use padded bags or a sustainable bubble wrap alternative.
Protective packaging
Gift packaging is often more decorative and fancier than standard product packaging, but this doesn’t mean you can compromise on durability. To guarantee that your product arrives safely you’ll need the strong and sturdy packaging materials. Fragile and easily damaged products may need to be padded or double wrapped, with a durable cardboard outer box to ensure safe delivery.
The importance of colour
Colour is a central consideration when creating gift packaging. Bold and bright colours are very attractive, but too much can be overwhelming. Choose two or three complementary colours to create a balance and keep it consistent throughout the package. See the section below for seasonal colour recommendations.
Decoration
To add a personal touch to your product packaging, embellish it with carefully chosen decorative elements. This can include bespoke stickers, ribbons, or tags for extra style, elegance, or a sense of fun. These details distinguish your product and make a good brand impression on both your customer and their gift recipient.
Branding ideas
Creative gift packaging is a brand promotion opportunity par excellence. Whether it’s the colour scheme, message, or a logo, ensure that there is some element of your branding strategy integrated into the gift packaging, facilitating product recognition and building brand awareness for repeat purchases.
Weight
The weight of the packaging material is a critical factor in gift packaging for ecommerce. You don’t want the packaging to be too heavy, as this will increase the cost of shipping and could even damage the product. Choose strong but lightweight materials such as cardboard or paper for a streamlined package.
SEASONAL PACKAGING
TRENDS AND THEMES
In the UK, there are plenty of cultural holidays and special occasions when it’s great to give an ecommerce gift to show a loved one that you care. Mother’s Day is celebrated in early March and Father’s Day in mid-June, for instance - ideal opportunities for customers to find something special on the internet to bring a smile to their parents! Christmas is obviously a huge occasion for businesses and consumers alike, with the festive spirit really ramping up from early November and gifts galore purchased online to find their way under the tree.
Birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries are always welcome occasions for gifting, no matter what time of year. Your customers may also wish to mark religious celebrations such as Easter, Passover, Diwali, or Eid al-Fitr with an ecommerce gift, as a thoughtful way of showing respect for the beliefs and values of friends and family.
By tailoring your core packaging designs to appeal to the seasonal gift market at different times of year, you can extend your customer base and provide a more responsive gift service to shoppers from a broader range of backgrounds.
Popular online gifts and bespoke packaging types:
1) Christmas decorations, ornaments, and seasonal figurines
Design bespoke gift boxes for decorations, ornaments, and figurines, with plenty of padding and support to safeguard delicate items.
2) Clothing
Coloured tissue paper and gift bags are perfect gift packaging ideas for clothing items.
3) Gift baskets and hampers
With a variety of cosmetics and pampering items such as bath bombs or body lotions – a stylish design box or reusable hamper provides the ideal setting for a personalised gift basket.
4) Flowers
Custom foils, tissue paper, or boxes can protect your flowers in transit to your customer.
5) Jewellery
A beautiful and understated box is essential for jewellery gift purchases. Pay attention to quality and premium materials, with an elegant font, branded or seasonal colours, and gold or silver leaf finishing.
6) Perfumes and fragrances
A custom gift box or bag will delight your customers and communicate your brand identity.
7) Photo frames
Photo frames should be wrapped carefully with tissue or wrapping paper to avoid damage in the post.
8) Novelty items, mugs or t-shirts
Seasonally branded boxes, bags, and wrapping are a good fit for novelty and humorous items. Quality is equally as important for humorous items as it is for other purchases.
9) Soft toys and stuffed animals
Personalised gift bags and boxes. Gift boxes should be open sided to leave the product visible.
10) Candles and home décor items
Package these items in custom gift boxes or bags.
11) Micro-kitchen appliances
For example, juicers, coffee machines etc – these items will need a sturdy box for safe transit, and an outer gift bag or bespoke wrapping for gift purchases.
12) Books
Wrapping and seasonal tissue paper is needed to protect books in transit. Try personalising your packaging by including ribbon or stickers.
13) Experience vouchers
Such as tickets to shows, cooking classes, and day trips – send out your gift vouchers in a small custom- designed box or seasonal themed card.
14) Premium food items, luxury spirits, wines, and beverages
These fragile gifts will need an appropriate bag, presentation tube, or box to safeguard the items, and may need refrigerated storage to keep them fresh.
15) Artisan leaf tea, coffee and hot chocolate packages
Loose packaged goods like leaf tea will require a personalised branded box – for Christmas gifts, this may take the form of a decorative Christmas cracker or another festive shape. Some businesses include a window to let customers see the goods inside.
16) Boxes of chocolate and/or biscuits
These normally come in their own tin or outer packaging. For gift purchases, consider providing a gift-wrapping service or include a personalised gift bag with each item.
ADAPTING YOUR PACKAGING FOR
POPULAR HOLIDAYS AND OCCASIONS
Christmas
Items requiring bespoke seasonal gift packaging
Almost any gift available for purchase online has the potential to be bought as a Christmas gift, so it makes sense to have a variety of bespoke Christmas packaging options available for your full product catalogue.
Designs, symbols, and motifs
Christmas trees, holly and ivy leaves, stars, snowflakes, Santa/Father Christmas, reindeer and sleighs, Christmas stockings, presents, Christmas lights, candles, bells, festive wreaths, candy canes, gingerbread men, Christmas nativity/stable scenes, rural winter landscapes, robins, foxes, deer, traditional churches, carol singers, Victorian and medieval scenes, the night sky, comedic characters e.g. Rudolf, wine and glasses, mistletoe, people celebrating Christmas, Christmas puddings/cakes, cooked turkey on a Christmas table etc – almost anything associated with Christmas can be used as a festive image on gift packaging!
Colours
Red, green, gold, silver, white, blue, purple, pink.
Valentine’s Day
Items requiring bespoke seasonal gift packaging
Flowers, chocolates, jewellery, perfumes and aftershave, photo frames and albums, novelty items, candle sets, soft toys, gift cards
Designs, symbols, and motifs
Hearts, cupids and arrows, red roses, teddy bears, lovebirds and doves, candles, champagne bottles/ glasses.
Colours
Red, pink, green, gold, silver, white, blue, purple.
Mother’s Day
Items requiring bespoke seasonal gift packaging
Flowers, jewellery, gift baskets, photo frames, personalised mugs, alcoholic drinks – e.g. wine, gin, experience vouchers, home decor, candles, wall art, handbags and accessories, clothing such as hats and scarves.
Designs, symbols, and motifs
Flowers, heart shapes, teddy bears, jewellery, birds, angels.
Colours
Pink, red, white, yellow, purple, blue, green, orange – anything bright with positive associations.
Easter
Items requiring bespoke seasonal gift packaging
Chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies, gift baskets, soft toys shaped like rabbits, ducks, and chicks, flowers.
Designs, symbols, and motifs
Easter Bunnies, Easter Eggs, spring flowers, the sun and sky, butterflies and ladybirds, chicks, lambs, crosses and Christian religious symbols, hot cross buns, Easter bonnets.
Colours
Yellow, white, blue, green, pink – colour combinations associated with spring and new life
Father’s Day
Items requiring bespoke seasonal gift packaging
Clothing such as ties, T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats, personalised mugs, novelty items, beer/ale box sets, tools and gadgets for the home and garden, premium alcoholic drinks – e.g. whisky, gin, rum etc, experience vouchers and event tickets.
Designs, symbols, and motifs
Ties, footballs, tools & gadgets, sports equipment, barbecue utensils, beer mugs or glasses, motorbikes and cars, fishing rods, watches.
Colours
Blue, green, red, white, grey, black, purple, brown – dark ‘masculine’ shades stereotypically associated with men and fatherhood.
Halloween
Items requiring bespoke seasonal gift packaging
Halloween costumes, novelty T-shirts, mugs etc. with funny messages, seasonal home decorations, chocolate, sweets, and treats in themed packages, Halloween themed board games and toys, Halloween masks, pumpkin carving kits, personalised trick or treat bags and party bags, candles.
Designs, symbols, and motifs
Pumpkins, bats, skulls, spiders and webs, ghosts, witches and broomsticks, black cats, owls, scarecrows, skeletons, vampires, owls, ‘sugar skulls’, etc.
Colours
Orange, black, yellow, grey, purple, red, white, green – dark or muted autumnal colour combinations.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS #1:
THE UNBOXING EXPERIENCE AND WHY IT MATTERS
There are few moments as important to your customers’ experience as the unboxing of a product, so put yourself in their shoes and consider what emotions you want them to feel when opening the package.
Ask yourself:
◊ Would I be pleased with this design and be proud to give this product as a gift?
◊ How can I creatively excite and delight my target customers?
◊ How can I make sure that my product arrives safely but also that it looks beautiful?
Little touches such as excellent presentation and quality materials show your attention to detail and help boost customer sentiment towards your brand.
Taking the time to perfect your unpacking experience will yield great dividends in increased brand engagement, customer referrals, good social media reviews, and repeat sales.
Many practical considerations go into designing a gift package for online sale, from figuring out what materials and colours to use, to deciding on which box-fill material will keep it padded and secure in the post.
However, if the result is a boring and forgettable unboxing experience, then your efforts are all for naught.
Your gift packaging must have visual appeal – not just strength and practicality – and make it easy to access your product.
By taking the time to craft an aesthetically pleasing and accessible packaging design and including product information cards or other personal touches to make the customer truly feel special, you can ensure that your hard work leaves a lasting impression with each order.
Plus, customers who get excited by the unboxing process are more likely to share their experiences online through Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube; which is great free exposure for your brand!
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS #2:
SUSTAINABILITY – MAKING AN IMPACT ON CUSTOMERS, NOT THE PLANET
Sustainable packaging is incredibly important for ecommerce businesses. Ideally, every element of your gift packaging should be fully recyclable and created from sustainably sourced materials, such as paper from FSC-approved woodlands in the UK or Europe, so that the environmental impact is minimised.
Choosing the right supplier for your packaging is vital too - one that takes a vested interest in sustainable manufacturing practices and offsetting their carbon footprint – e.g. by reducing energy consumption and VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions during manufacturing.
Through carefully selecting your source materials and supply partners for maximum sustainability, you can ensure that every aspect of your packaging strategy adheres to ecologically responsible principles. Sustainability doesn’t mean compromising on style, quality, or brand identity. By simply avoiding single use plastics and using sustainable alternatives to non-recyclable foils, you can steadily reduce your business’s carbon footprint and make it easier for your customers to recycle their packaging.
Ultimately, transitioning to more sustainable packaging is just the right thing to do; it’s a way of expressing care for the planet and preserving the resources we have for generations to come. This is recognised by consumers, many of whom actively seek out brands with a demonstrable commitment to good environmental practices and sustainability.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS #3:
LUXURY PACKAGING
Unlike packaging intended for individual purchases, gift packaging has to dress to impress. To reflect well on the giver, gift packaging must be luxurious, reflecting the value of the gift and the thought and affection of the person giving it.
People buy gifts to make their recipients feel treated and special – that they deserve the very best. Gift packaging should reflect this by imbuing a sense of quality, care, and craftsmanship. Your customer should be proud to purchase these gifts for their friends and family, and their recipients should be delighted to receive them.
Designing luxury packaging doesn’t mean making every product look like it’s come straight from Fortnum & Mason – this isn’t appropriate for some products and markets. However, your gift packaging does need to communicate the impression that you’ve spared no expense to create the highest quality packaging and unboxing experience for your customers – even when designing for novelty or low value gift items.
Simple strategies for creating luxury packaging include:
◊ Less is more – understatement is the hallmark of luxury. Focus on a few carefully selected design elements, and don’t let your packaging look busy and cluttered with design features. Overdoing it can cheapen your packaging and make it look tacky.
◊ Quality is queen – source premium, high quality, durable products for all elements of your packaging.
◊ Attention to detail – it’s the little things that make packaging luxurious: flawless wrapping, gold detailing, carefully balanced colours, soft and delicate ribbon, and so on.
◊ Texture – luxury is a multi-sensory concept. Try to create a feast for all the senses with your gift packaging, using a variety of textures, colours, and even smells to instil a memorable experience.
Get in touch
If you’d like to find out more about Ecommerce gift packaging ideas and how to create stunning one-of-a-kind designs that make a great impression on your customers, please call Kudos Giftwrap today on 01923 220055, or click here to send us a message.
