The Giftware industry looks to be in store for a good year again. The economy in general is improving, which means more consumer spending and a rosier outlook for the gift industries. In addition to this, a number of projected trends in consumer behavior also favor gift sales reps and companies hiring gift sales representatives. Check out our take on the most important of these trends below.
Growing Popularity of Small Gift Shops
You may be familiar with Small Business Saturday, the annual mom and pop and otherwise small business store response to Black Friday. This new shopping day reflects growing interest in supporting smaller businesses, an interest that seems set to continue for 2014 and should be a boon to giftware industry principals. Big box stores are downsizing or downscaling to provide more intimate experiences, as online shopping is more likely to win on price regardless of where you go. This return to a more charming in person shopping experience should help people in giftware sales present new lines more easily, and win new customers.
Local is the Big Buzzword
The growth of interest in locally sourced goods parallels the interest in a more localized and personal shopping experience. In 2013, more than third of consumers said they were intending to shop locally, at small businesses, an increase of around 25% from 2012. Items that sell well at these kinds of shops are right up gift industry’s alley – unique gifts, artisanal products, and so on. People are motivated to shop locally in order to find things they can’t find online, and giftware trends should reflect that.
Gift Displays Are Given Time to Shine
Big box stores are setting the trend of providing engaging in-store displays. Imagine, how does Apple get so many people to walk through the doors of its Apple stores? A huge reason for this was their willingness to allow people to play with their products. The return to prominence of in-store displays marks a great opportunity for gift sales reps to show off their product with fun, colorful, and even interactive displays.
What do you think will help you succeed in giftware sales this year? Let us know in the comments!