Corporate gifting: 5 top tips for buying the perfect presents

Have you been tasked with finding the perfect gift on behalf of your company this year? We know it can be stressful and time consuming, so why not let Spicers of Hythe, the luxury hamper specialist, take the stress away by making them your personal gifting assistant this Christmas?

To guide you through the minefield of corporate gifting, Ian Spicer, Managing Director of Spicers of Hythe, discusses five points to consider, ensuring you can surprise and delight with gifts you are proud to give this Christmas.

1. Research the company
Over the next few weeks, we know that your inbox will start to fill up, with lots of companies trying to sell you the “next big thing your clients will love!” Make sure you choose a company with a proven track record for quality and can demonstrate credible customer satisfaction scores. That way you can rest assured that all your requests, from specific deliveries to budget requirements can be successfully met. Before you order, make sure that you have a contact name and number for whoever is responsible for your order and a written confirmation.

2. Is it suitable?
Be sure that you know for whom you are buying. If you have personal information such as knowing they’re fanatical about a sports team, a lover of red wine, or have a nut allergy, you can really tailor the gift to the recipient. Matching the gift to their tastes demonstrates that a lot of thought and effort has been made.

3. Leave yourself enough time
Christmas will creep up on you before you know it! So starting your gift planning now is definitely worthwhile. In the run-up to Christmas, delivery deadlines and availabilities will get tighter, meaning you may incur unexpected additional charges for ‘express’ delivery services. Plan early to save money and avoid the stress of worrying about whether the gift will be delivered on time.

4. Where are you getting it delivered?
Will it be to an office or personal address? Have you checked that the address hasn’t changed? Have you considered your recipient’s holiday schedule? Make sure you check that they will still be in the office on your selected delivery date. Also, be practical! If the recipient takes public transport to get into work, will the gift be easy to carry home?

5. Establish a budget
Once you have been assigned the task of finding the perfect gift, ensure you have a finalised budget to work with and a set list of recipients to cater for. Check whether the budget allocated is to be split evenly or whether you need to create tiered groups. There are a lot of great ‘early bird’ deals that make little luxuries affordable, so be sure to check out the discounts available.

Exclusive discount for PA Life readers – enter the code S16PA2 to enjoy 15% off all orders placed by 18 November 2016 at spicersofhythe.co.uk.