Happy holidays!
The most wonderful time of year has approached, bringing the core spirit that centers around giving. While we’re in the holiday season, what’s a better way to show customers your appreciation than gifting them every time they shop? With the right gift with purchase ideas and strategies, eCommerce brands like yours can create windfalls of goodwill and draw more loyal customers.
In this article, you’re going to learn:
- Gifting your shoppers as they purchase is a smart marketing tactic.
- You may run your gift with purchase promotions in various ways, adjusting them based on your sale target and retail occasions.
Let’s grab yourself an eggnog latte and dig in - the merry marketing moves below will ignite your shop shine as bright as Rudolph's red nose this year!
Do Gift with Purchase Ideas Really Impact the Holiday Sales Season?
What is Gift with Purchase?
Gift with purchase is the art of giving, where customers receive a complimentary item as a sign of appreciation when they purchase something from your store. A little extra bang for their buck, you could say!
Beyond an act, gift with purchase is a strategy that:
- Encourages shoppers to spend more
- Attracts new customers to your store
- Enhances your brand loyalty
- Boosts emotional connections
- Clears out inventory
Does this strategy really impact your store, especially during the holiday season? We believe it does. Now, keep scrolling through and explore the power of running your free gift promotion strategy!
How Can Gift with Purchase Help in Ecommerce?
Gift with purchase promotion is a powerful eCommerce strategy that turns ordinary shopping into a memorable experience. It’s like receiving a surprise present, especially during the holiday season, and customers love it. In fact, 90% of shoppers say added value like this makes them more likely to buy and stay loyal to the brand.
How free gift promotion strategy works for different stores:
- For new stores: Coming up with some gift with purchase ideas can be a great way to attract first-time buyers who are looking for extra value or a special deal.
- For established stores: Boosts cart sizes by encouraging customers to add more items to their cart to qualify for the gift.
What seasonal impact it has:
- Peak shopping seasons: This strategy is even more effective during shopping periods like holidays since enthusiasm is already high. Offering a gift with purchase during these times can lead to higher engagement, bigger basket sizes, and more sales.
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4 Best Gift with Purchase Ideas To Drive Sales for Ecommerce Brands
1. Exclusive Gifts
Exclusivity always creates excitement, and an exclusive gift is the VIP pass to joy. They are unique items that customers receive only when they purchase during a specified promotional period. Therefore, offering "just for now" or “just for you” gifts is a savvy strategy to attract customers' attention this season.
Moreover, giving something exclusive is a gesture that goes beyond the transaction. It fosters a deep sense of loyalty. Customers appreciate the extra effort and thoughtfulness, creating a connection that extends beyond the holiday season. In fact, shoppers who received a gift were 64% more likely to make subsequent purchases within a three-month period.
How to leverage exclusive gifts in eCommerce:
- Highlight the gift: Clearly display the exclusive gift on your website, ensuring it’s visible to all visitors.
- Emphasize urgency: Use countdowns or limited-time offers or countdowns, motivating customers to act.
Case study: Dyson’s Free Gift Promotion Strategy
One successful example of this strategy comes from Dyson. The brand offered a detachable blow-dry head as a gift, only available with the purchase of a full Airwrap set. By emphasizing exclusivity and limited availability, Dyson increased the perceived value of its product and drove more purchases.
Image source: Dyson
📌 Pro tip for sellers: As the holiday season approaches, consider gifting your customers holiday fast-selling items like home ornaments, party supplies, scented candles, etc. This not only applies to holidays but all year round. If you are trying to kick off some gift with purchase ideas in the summer, do it with your hot-selling summer items or samples.
2. Personalized Gifts
Personalized gifts are products customized to meet the unique preferences of each customer. These gift with purchase ideas offer more than material value — they build personal connections that strengthen brand loyalty. Shoppers appreciate the extra effort, and customers who receive personalized gifts are 64% more likely to make repeat purchases within three months.
These gifts also spark word-of-mouth marketing. 58% of customers share their personalized gifts with others, transforming them into brand advocates. This creates a cycle of goodwill and increases your brand’s reach.
How to offer personalized gifts in eCommerce:
- Customization options: Let customers personalize products directly on your website. Options like name engraving, color selection, or personal messages make the experience memorable.
- Seamless process: Ensure the customization process is simple and enjoyable. This encourages more customers to participate.
Personalized gift with purchase examples:
Jimmy Joy is a meal kit brand that offers nutritious and ready-to-eat meals. When customers purchase for the first time, the brand offers them a free shaker as a free Christmas gift with purchase. The special thing here is customers can choose their desired shaker size (600ml or 1000ml).
People love getting free value, and they even love it more if they can personalize it. This way, Jimmy Joy successfully delivers enticements to their customers. And when they are captivated, they are more likely to purchase.
Image source: Jimmy Joy
3. Gift Bundles
When it comes to gift with purchase ideas, bundling products together is truly a win-win for both shoppers and store owners alike. Let us tell you some more!
What are gift bundles?
Gift bundles combine two or more related products into one package. Store owners come up with bundles to boost their order value and offer convenience to customers at the same time. Instead of searching for individual items, shoppers then get everything they need in one ready-to-go bundle. These can include full skincare sets, makeup kits, or DIY craft sets.
Why gift bundles work:
- Higher order value: Customers are more likely to spend more when they see the combined value of bundled items.
- Increased customer satisfaction: Ready-made solutions save shoppers time and effort.
- Attract new customers: Product bundles are 68% more effective at grabbing new shoppers' attention and driving sales.
- Showcase more products: Bundles highlight different product categories, exposing customers to items they may not have considered.
Free gift with purchase examples:
One standout example comes from Estee Lauder, which offers gift bundles as part of its free gift with purchase promotions. Customers can get products valued at $615 for just $85, a compelling deal that emphasizes savings. This approach not only boosts order values but also builds brand loyalty.
Image source: Estee Lauder
How to create gift bundles:
You can create gift bundles on Shopify using built-in tools or by leveraging Shopify apps for added flexibility. Apps like FoxKit All-in-One Sales Boost make it easy to design product bundles with just a few clicks. These apps often come with extra features like volume discounts and stock countdowns, helping you boost sales and track performance to improve future campaigns.
4. Gift Cards
Shopify gift cards give customers the flexibility to choose the products they want, creating a more personalized shopping experience. Such gift with purchase ideas work like store credit, allowing recipients to select their favorite items within a set value.
Gift cards hold immense potential to accelerate growth, cultivate customer loyalty, and broaden brand reach. (Image source: Yo!Kart)
Shopify gift cards are the keys to unlocking the treasure trove of your store:
- They empower customers to choose their preferred items within a specified monetary value, turning the act of giving into a personalized shopping experience.
- Gift cards are invitations for new customers to explore your offerings. Recipients, drawn in by the promise of choice, become potential lifelong customers.
However, the journey doesn't end with the initial gift. Shopify gift cards create a pathway for future sales as recipients return to your store to redeem their cards, exploring more of what your brand has to offer.
How to add gift cards to a Shopify store:
You can create gift cards using Shopify's built-in tools for a simple setup. For more advanced customization, consider Shopify themes like Zest, which makes it easier to add gift cards. With Zest, sellers can offer gift card products with recipient fields and flexible layouts, enhancing the user experience.
Image source: Zest
Case study for gift cards:
A Shopify store that has successfully implemented the gift card strategy is Sunrise Flour Mill. The brand sent Shopify gift cards via email to customers who had been inactive for more than 30 days. By giving old customers monetary value, Sunrise Flour Mill encourages them to come back and make purchases.
How to Turn Your Gift with Purchase Ideas into Reality Effectively?
1. Create Gift Guides
A gift guide is a curated collection of products that helps customers find the perfect gifts for their loved ones. By organizing products into categories like "For Him," "For Her," or "Budget-Friendly Gifts," gift guides make shopping simpler and faster. Research shows that gift guides can boost transaction rates by 48%, making them a powerful tool for eCommerce sellers.
What a gift guide looks like. Image source: ConvertFlow
A well-designed holiday gift guide provides multiple benefits to your store:
- Streamlines the shopping process: Navigating through countless products can be overwhelming. Holiday gift guide simplifies the shopping process, helping customers swiftly find the ideal gift without the hassle of endless browsing.
- Showcases popular products: It's not just a guide; it's a spotlight on your store's best. The holiday gift guide showcases popular products, giving them the attention they deserve and enticing customers with tried-and-loved options.
- Enhances user experience: The holiday gift guide is not just functional, it's an experience. It enhances user engagement, providing a visually appealing and user-friendly way for customers to discover, explore, and choose the perfect gifts.
Some noteworthy ideas to craft a perfect holiday gift guide:
- Don't forget searchability. Add relevant keywords throughout to boost rankings for popular queries, such as "gift ideas for mom".
- Go beyond plain text. Showcase products beautifully with multiple lifestyle images per category to offer a glimpse of various unboxing moments.
- Refresh guides regularly. To maintain relevance all season long as trends and interests evolve, give rewards like a subscriber-only mini guide to keep them coming back!
A successful example: BuzzFeed’s gift guide
BuzzFeed lets shoppers filter gifts by recipient, price, or product type, making shopping faster and more convenient. This approach improves the shopping experience and increases conversions.
These free gift advertising ideas can create a better shopping experience, drive customer engagement, and boost holiday sales. An effective gift guide turns casual visitors into loyal customers.
Image source: BuzzFeed
2. Gamify Gift Giving (Gift Finder)
A gamified gift-finder tool is an interactive adventure that can be filled with a series of fun and festive questions. It guides customers through a merry journey, helping them discover the most suitable gift based on their answers.
Businesses are seeing impressive results from gamification, with user engagement increasing by as much as 30% and conversion rates climbing from 15 to 50%. A well-functioning gamified gift finder is sure to spark delight with these benefits:
- Adding an element of fun to shopping: Shopping becomes an adventure with the gift finder. By adding an element of fun, it transforms the often stressful task of finding the perfect gift into an enjoyable and memorable experience.
- Increasing engagement: The playful nature of the gift finder sparks curiosity and engages customers in a unique way. As they navigate through the quiz, they become active participants in the shopping process, forging a deeper connection with your brand.
How to gamify your gift giving:
- Create an interactive quiz: Ask users a few simple questions about recipient preferences, like hobbies or favorite activities, to guide them toward personalized gift suggestions.
- Use dynamic recommendations: Show gift options based on quiz answers. For example, a "tech lover" response can display smartwatches or headphones.
- Keep it simple: Limit the quiz to 3-5 quick questions to maintain engagement and prevent drop-offs.
- Add a clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Use prominent CTAs like "Find Your Perfect Gift" on your homepage, social media, and emails to encourage participation.
- Incorporate visual elements: Add progress bars, animations, and positive feedback (like "Great Choice!") to make the experience more fun and rewarding.
Case study: How do you gamify free gift with purchase ideas like Sephora?
Source: Sephora
The brand has created a gift finder on its website. It guides online shoppers with a series of questions to understand their gift preferences.
By engaging shoppers in the process of making their own gift with purchase, Sephora has utilized the IKEA effect to make shoppers feel satisfied and ready to purchase.
Gift with Purchase Ideas for Sellers - FAQs
- What is the gift with purchase concept?
The gift with purchase concept is a marketing strategy where customers receive a free item when they buy a specific product or reach a certain spending threshold. This tactic encourages shoppers to complete their purchases, increases order value, and builds customer loyalty. Unlike discounts, the added gift feels like a bonus, making the shopping experience more exciting and memorable.
- What is an example of purchase with purchase?
A purchase with purchase (PWP) is a sales strategy where customers can buy an additional product at a special discount after making an initial purchase. Unlike "gift with purchase," where the item is free, the PWP model allows customers to access exclusive offers, usually at a reduced price.
It’s Time to Elevate the Power of Shopify Gift with Purchase
As the eCommerce holiday season approaches, it's time to thoughtfully craft Shopify gifts with purchase programs that will truly spread joy throughout your customer base. While common tactics like bundles, exclusives, and guides are tried and true, considering personalized touches and an interactive shopping experience sets your brand apart in today's digital marketplace.
This season, may your gift offerings warm hearts far and wide. Wishing your store bountiful blessings as you spread good cheer through smart strategies that nourish both people and businesses alike. With creativity and caring, the power of your program is boundless indeed.
