Give your products new life by grouping them
together in an eye-catching gift basket. According to Gift Shop magazine,
“gift baskets are a convenient way to improve store sales and even turn
clearance items into fresh, full-priced, saleable items.”
Not only are gift baskets fun and interactive
for the recipient, as they discover each different element carefully tucked
inside, but for the retailer they encourage increased customer spending and
create for beautiful merchandising displays.
Rebecca Craig of Marie's Candies, an RCI member
and the Third Vice President of RCI’s board of directors, shared the following “recipe”
for the perfect gift basket as an instructor for RCI’s past Merchandising
Essentials course.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
- Gift basket or container
- Various boxes or bags of your product (depending on size of basket)
- Themed gift item(s) (e.g., promotional items, plush animals, holiday ornaments, baby bottles, etc.)
- Filler (e.g., tissue paper or shredded paper)
- Cello wrap
- Shrink wrap (for shipping)
- Ribbons and bows
- Adornments and decorations
- Merchandising tag
DIRECTIONS: Place
crumpled tissue paper and/or shredded paper in the bottom of the basket, so the
contents are raised just below the edge of the basket for best visibility.
Method #1: Focal Point
Position the tallest item in the center of the
basket. Arrange smaller items around the center, from the next tallest to the
shortest. Contents should face the outer edge of the basket. This method should
look balanced from every angle, making it a great focal point for your
merchandising display.
Method #2: Back to Front
Position taller items in the back and shorter
items in the front. All contents should face the front of the basket. This
method will give the basket a front and back, but it may be assembled more
quickly.
With either method, it is important to have
plenty of filler to fill in gaps between items and provide stability to the
contents of the gift basket. If items need additional support, consider using
skewers or double-sided tape. A piece of Styrofoam can also be glued to the
bottom or side of the basket to offer even more support.
Wrapping a gift basket
in cello or shrink wrap will keep the contents in place and prevent curious
customers from handling the merchandise in the gift basket. Looking for to learn
more great ideas from fellow candy makers and suppliers, register now to attend
RCI’s Regional Conference in Nashville, TN August 19-21!
Offering customers
the opportunity to ship your gift baskets to friends, family and clients, will
open up even more sales potential. Now that you know how to build the perfect
gift basket, how do you ship them like a pro?! Click
here to read our post “Ship Gift Baskets Like A Boss,” to pick up more of
Rebecca’s pro-tips on shipping gift baskets.
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