Shoppers Turn More Often to the Internet than to Specialty Gift Stores to Buy Gifts

Shoppers Turn More Often to the Internet than to Specialty Gift Stores to Buy Gifts

A new study of the giftware market by Unity Marketing identifies key opportunities for future growth

Where people buy gifts is changing dramatically with more people saving time and money buying gifts over the Internet, rather than going to the store to shop.  This according to the latest market research study of the $65.2 billion gifts and decorative accents market conducted by Unity Marketing. 

In 2007 the Internet was the second most important shopping venue for giftware shoppers, trailing only discount department stores as a place of purchase.  For purposes of this study giftware is defined as items that are designed and manufactured to be bought and given as a gift or collectible items that are designed and manufactured specifically for the purpose of collecting.  The giftware market includes items such as occasion-specific giftware, personalized giftware, character-licensed giftware, collectible figurines, and others.

Commenting on the emergence of the Internet as the second most popular source for consumers to buy giftware, Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Shopping:  Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience, says,  "The Internet came from virtually nowhere just five years ago to become the second most important channel of distribution for giftware companies.  While discount stores take the lions' share of the giftware market, consumers value the convenience and ability to comparison shop in order to find exactly what they are looking for in the online world.  This plus the ability to ship gifts conveniently to the recipient makes the Internet a favorite place for people to shop for gifts."

Specialty gift stores are losing their edge as a distribution channel for giftware manufacturers

As the way people shop for gifts has changed, the industry's traditional channel of distribution, the specialty gift store, has continued to decline in importance as a place where people shop for gifts.  In 2007 the gift specialty stores accounted for only 7 percent of the overall giftware market.  Not surprisingly, the study reports that the number of specialty gift shops have declined 21 percent in the past five years, from 75,102 stores in 2002 to 59,032 today.   

The specialty gift stores that remain have found success by expanding the product lines they carry, particularly moving into personal care, jewelry, fashion accessories, music and other related items popular to boutique shoppers.  As the industry's manufacturers become less reliant on specialty gift stores for distribution, so too are gift stores becoming less reliant upon the giftware manufacturers for new merchandise.

Drawing on the results of the study, Danziger explains, "The key for success for both manufacturers and retailers of giftware products is to stay out in front of the consumer, offering them products that are out of the ordinary, new, fresh and special.  The giftware market is a fashion business and companies are rewarded primarily for innovating and offering something new to consumers.  Successful retailers are merchandising their stores with this in mind.  When it comes to choosing giftware, nobody wants the 'same-old, me-too' items; rather they want something fresh, new and different which makes it memorable.  That is the ultimate key to success in today's giftware market."

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