Happy holidays!
As the most wonderful time of year approaches, we’re bursting with ideas for spreading seasonal cheer - and upping your eCommerce holiday sales.
The core spirit of the holiday season centers around giving. What better way to tap into those generous feelings than by offering free holiday gifts with every purchase? Done right, Gift with Purchase strategies create windfalls of goodwill sure to keep customers coming back long after the last bow is tied.
In this guide, we’ll share with you awesome techniques for leveraging the power of free holiday gifts in a thoughtful, revenue-driving way. From exclusive bundles to personalized perks, you'll uncover creative ways to jingle your bells right into the bank. So 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!
The Essence of Gift with Purchase During the Holiday Sales Season
What is Gift with Purchase?
The holidays are always such a magical time of year. From the store owner’s perspective, utilizing gift with purchase promotions can make this season extra special for both your customers and your business.
To define, Gift with Purchase is the art of giving, where customers receive a complimentary item as a token of appreciation when they make a purchase from your store. A little extra bang for their buck, you could say!
Gift with Purchase emerges as the glittering star on your eCommerce stage. It's more than a mere marketing tactic - it's a festive flourish that adds an extra layer of excitement to every transaction
The Power of Gift with Purchase
In the bustling world of eCommerce holiday shopping, gift with purchase is the kind of delightful surprise that turns a routine buy into a memorable experience, making each customer feel like they've received a free Christmas gift straight from Santa.
Beyond just making people feel good though, research shows gift with purchase can seriously boost your bottom line too. Tying fun free holiday gifts to a purchase has been proven to increase conversion rates considerably. 90% of customers state that they simply appreciate the added value and are more likely to buy products and become more loyal to the brand.
Customer care and satisfaction also get a nice boost. The lure of free holiday gifts makes the transaction feel more festive and generous on both ends. Shoppers will leave feeling good about both the item they picked up and the brand that provided it. Strong feelings that lead to returning time and time again.
When rolled out strategically during the highest volume season, these engagement and sales benefits are magnified even further. The hustle and bustle of the eCommerce holidays provide the perfect backdrop to maximize the excitement and goodwill a Shopify gift with purchase campaign can generate.
So whether you're a new store hoping to gain loyal customers or an existing one aiming to increase basket sizes, Shopify gift with purchase promotions are sure to come in clutch this season!
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4 Shopify Gift with Purchase Ideas To Drive Holiday Sales
Exclusive Gift
Exclusivity always breeds excitement, and an exclusive gift is the VIP pass to holiday joy. They are unique items that customers receive only when they make a 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.
Crafting the allure of an exclusive gift requires a strategic touch. Ensure the exclusive gift is prominently featured on your website, catching the eye of every visitor. Clearly communicate the limited-time nature of the offer to instill a sense of urgency and excitement.
If you’re looking for inspiration, consider the case study from Dyson.
Dyson sold its Airwrap with detachable blow-dry heads, which you can only get when you purchase the whole set. By offering this as a gift with purchase, Dyson adds a sense of exclusivity to its product and uses it to hook customers making purchases.
Image source: Dyson
Personalized Gift
Personalized gifts are tailored items that cater to the individual preferences or needs of your customers. They have such wonderful benefits to forge bonds between your brand and shoppers.
Personalized gifts go beyond material value, they establish a personal connection between your brand and the customer, making the holiday experience truly memorable. Furthermore, customers who receive personalized gifts are more likely to return, knowing that your brand values their uniqueness. It becomes a cycle of goodwill that encourages repeat business.
Furthermore, 58% of people will tell others about their personalized gift, which means your customers could become your brand’s ambassadors for free, and then your product and brand would be spread to lots of other potential shoppers.
Creating a personalized experience doesn't have to be complex. Integrate customization options directly on your product pages, allowing customers to add a personal touch to their selected items. Whether it's engraving a name, choosing colors, or adding a special message, make the process seamless and enjoyable.
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
Gift Bundles
When it comes to gift with purchase ideas, bundling complimentary products together is truly a win-win for both shoppers and store owners alike. Let us tell you about some creative ways to leverage the gift bundle strategy this eCommerce holiday season!
Gift bundles essentially take two or more synergistic items and package them neatly as one gift. Instead of having customers hunt for all the parts of an outfit or DIY project separately, bundles conveniently hold complete looks or activities at the ready.
The benefits are huge! According to Shopify, using product/gift bundling can be 68% more effective in grabbing new customers. It also drives up average order values significantly since shoppers essentially get a package deal.
Moreover, you get to highlight different corners of your catalog to new audiences. Bundles indeed make ideal personalized gifting options!
Estee Lauder is an industry leader in the fashion and cosmetics segment. It offers several free Christmas gifts with the full kit purchase.
Through this offer, customers can get something worth $615 for just $85. This method works really well. Customers like hearing about how much money they save with special deals. The best part is that the total value of the separate items is much higher than the bundled packages, so it's a guaranteed dealmaker.
Image source: Estee Lauder
On Shopify, easily setting up enticing bundles is effortless by following this guideline from Shopify. But if you want to customize your bundle more flexibly, the best way is to install and use Shopify apps for product bundles. Among them, FoxKit All-in-one Sales Boost App is one of the best options. Its simple interface allows you to create a product bundle within a few mouse clicks.
Image source: FoxKit
Among them, FoxKit All-in-one Sales Boost app is one of the best options. Its simple interface allows you to create a product bundle within a few mouse clicks. More than that, it has multiple other sales-boosting features like volume discounts, stock countdown, lucky wheel, etc.
Using FoxKit, you not only can execute lots of eCommerce holiday sales techniques but also track their performance for continuous improvements.
Gift Card
Amidst the whirlwind of holiday eCommerce choices, the Gift Card stands tall as the versatile maestro, orchestrating a symphony of personalized gifting. Let's uncover its magic!
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.
Shopify gift cards are not just gifts, they 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.
If you are wondering how to add gift cards to Shopify stores, here is the answer. Crafting a seamless Shopify gift card experience is within your reach. Utilize Shopify's built-in gift card functionality for a straightforward approach. For additional customization, explore third-party apps that elevate the Shopify gift card experience, adding a touch of personalization.
Image source: Zest
Another way is using Shopify themes that support adding gift cards, such as Zest. With Zest’s simple UI, flexible layouts, and mobile-first settings, you can provide gift card products for multiple products easily. Moreover, after adding a gift card product, Zest allows you to enable the recipients field with a single mouse click.
A Shopify store that has successfully implemented gift card strategy is Sunrise Flour Mill. In which, the brand sent Shopify gift cards via email to customers who were inactive for more than 30 days. By giving old customers monetary value, Sunrise Flour Mill encourages them to come back and make purchases.
Image source: Sunrise Flour Mill
Effective Ways to Offer Shopify Gift with Purchase
Gift Guide
A gift guide is a compass in the vast sea of holiday eCommerce shopping. It's a curated collection of products thoughtfully categorized to assist customers in finding the perfect gift for their loved ones. Think of it as your store's personalized map of joyous giving. Gift guides proved to be highly effective, boosting transaction rates by 48%.
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.
A dedicated holiday gift guide section of your site is key - make it highly visible! From there, break offerings into relatable categories like "For Her", "Stocking Stuffers", "Cozy Escapes" etc. Think about common recipient types.
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!
Learn how to create holiday gift guide that converts.
Here is a great gift guide example from BuzzFeed. The brand has shown various stocking stuffers, which you can filter out by recipient, category, interest, price, etc. By using this comprehensive gift guide, shoppers will shop much more easily and conveniently.
Image source: BuzzFeed
Gamified Gift Giving (Gift Finder)
A gamified gift finder tool is not just a feature, it's an interactive adventure. It guides customers through a merry journey, helping them discover the most suitable gift based on their answers to a series of fun and festive questions.
Businesses are seeing impressive results from gamification, with user engagement increasing by as much as 30% and conversion rates climbing 15-50%. 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.
Crafting a gamified gift finder doesn't require wizardry, it requires creativity. Develop an engaging quiz-style tool on your website that prompts users to answer questions leading to personalized gift recommendations. Make the journey interactive, enjoyable, and tailored to the festive spirit.
Start with a lighthearted quiz formatted as a journey - invite shoppers on a magical trip to find their perfect gift. Pose questions about interests, personalities, and needs along the way. Customization is key!
Let answers dynamically steer the path, with tailored follow-up questions or hints for narrowing recommendations. Conversationally guide users until... Poof! A personalized present appears!
Promote your gift trip prominently on social and through an enticing "Take the Quiz" CTA. Let shoppers start their quest with just one fun click and some self-reflection.
A touch of magic, imagination, and discovery can go a long way toward sparking joy. With an engaging gamified gift finder, sharing that sparkle becomes delightfully effortless.
Source: Sephora
Take a look at an inspirational example from 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.
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 gift 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.
