WE NEED TO FIX ONLINE GIFTING
We all know that in recent years, consumers are becoming much more careful and
conscious in their online shopping behaviours.
With the event of the pandemic, online shopping became a necessary way of life for large
swathes of the population who had previously done their best to ignore or avoid it. And with
that boost in online activity, came renewed scrutiny and increased consumer expectation -
both in the services that were available to them, and in the ethics of how retailers conducted
their business.
Checkout security has always been a priority for online retailers, but gifting options are
becoming more and more important as consumers move their purchase habits online.
The modern conscious consumer still wants to have all the convenience and availability, but
they also want to feel sure that their money is being spent in a way that is safe, secure, and
sustainable.
WHY DOESN’T IT WORK?
We looked at the numbers – for some retailers, as much as 40% of all online gifts end up as
returns - and realised that there must be a better way to give gifts online. While all major
retailers in the modern marketplace require an online sales portal, and many find it beneficial
to offer some basic gifting options, the statistics for digital gift-giving (especially at crunch
periods like Christmas) make for sober reading.
Very few people seem to do well in this scenario:
- The gift-giver often gets it wrong, with an incorrect size or colour.
- The recipient is in the awkward position of needing to exchange it,
- and the retailer often has to send out two extra delivery runs, creating extra expense
and increased environmental impact.
With so many online gifts being returned and, in some cases, going straight to landfill, it’s
worth asking – what would a better system look like?
Perhaps one where gift-givers feel like they’re sending a loved one a gift with a bit of
sparkle, but where recipients can amend and approve options before the gift is shipped?
This would lead to more confident purchase behaviours, increased recipient satisfaction, and
a drastic reduction in the retailer’s carbon footprint.
THE SOLUTION?
We've developed a set of fully customisable purchase flow assets that plug straight into a
retailer's website, ensuring enhanced functionality with minimal setup. HelloGiftie is a fully-
customisable e-commerce digital gifting solution, which allows retailers to offer advanced gift
-giving options on their product and checkout pages. It offers digital wrapping, customisable
messaging and instant delivery, and allows the recipient to amend the gift (or exchange for a
voucher) and book a convenient delivery time and place.
In addition, it provides a whole suite of insights, delivered through a convenient retailer
dashboard, to help retailers track online gifting behaviours via a range of visual and
statistical tools. We’ll be launching at Smart Retail 2022, with our CEO Rebecca Daly on
hand to answer questions, organise meetings and discuss how HelloGiftie could help
transform online gifting for retailers.