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Back To Baby Gift Basket Basics - Shrink Vs Cellophane
At BasketsGalore baby gift baskets have always been one of our best selling types of gift. Baby gift baskets originated in the US as baby shower gifts, but have since grown to include maternity gifts, gifts for the new baby, gifts for the new mum & gifts for the new family. They are also extremely popular worldwide as many companies wish to send their partners or colleagues a gift, or families who live apart in different countries can arrange to send one and still be part of the momentous occasion of welcoming a new baby.When we started out our baby gift baskets came in a variety of different style of containers, from lidded bamboo hampers, to colourful teddy bear boxes to open wicker baskets. Over the years we were able to benefit from buying baskets directly from China & so we could specify our requirements. This is when the white gift baskets made their appearance, in small, medium or large or in a shopper style round basket. These baskets could also be lined with baby pink, baby blue or natural gingham depending on the gender of the child.
In the past the more expensive baby gifts were in open baskets and so these received complimentary cellophane wrap. When we introduced baby gifts from only £35 in open baskets, cellophane wrapping just didn't work as well. This is because the basket itself was smaller, and the contents slightly fewer (although still well known or designer brands). It also didn't make sense financially, as it takes a lot of time & effort to hand wrap the gifts in cellophane and there simply wasn't enough margin on these less expensive baskets. We had already introduced the shrink wrapping idea for our food trays, as this held the items in place for transit & also looked fresh & appealing, so this was copied across into the baby division.We recently held a focus group after a couple of the Directors questioned if the shrink wrap was working for all of our baskets. Someone had pointed out that the shrink wrapping didn't do the more expensive baby gift baskets justice , as all the items within tended to be packed in a slightly flatter fashion to facilitate the wrap. This flatter packing style meant some items could not be seen until the basket was actually opened up. This wasn't such a problem with food baskets, as the more expensive food gifts tended to be in large lidded hampers rather than open baskets, and seeing every component of food isn't as important.With this in mind we decided to test a few baby baskets at various price levels and styles to see if shrink wrap or cellophane wrap worked more effectively. The result was that any baby baskets that had been designed at the £65 & over price point looked much better with cellophane wrap as it really showcased all the items within. Any gift baskets under this price looked much better with the shrink wrap, as the flatter packing style suited the type of contents and every item could still be seen within the basket. It also makes sense in terms of labour as the shrink wrapping takes less time and the most popular baby baskets we sell are under £45.Which method of gift wrap would you prefer - shrink or wrap?Here is an example of a cellophane wrapped basket we created for a new member of our family, baby Charlie.
In the past the more expensive baby gifts were in open baskets and so these received complimentary cellophane wrap. When we introduced baby gifts from only £35 in open baskets, cellophane wrapping just didn't work as well. This is because the basket itself was smaller, and the contents slightly fewer (although still well known or designer brands). It also didn't make sense financially, as it takes a lot of time & effort to hand wrap the gifts in cellophane and there simply wasn't enough margin on these less expensive baskets. We had already introduced the shrink wrapping idea for our food trays, as this held the items in place for transit & also looked fresh & appealing, so this was copied across into the baby division.We recently held a focus group after a couple of the Directors questioned if the shrink wrap was working for all of our baskets. Someone had pointed out that the shrink wrapping didn't do the more expensive baby gift baskets justice , as all the items within tended to be packed in a slightly flatter fashion to facilitate the wrap. This flatter packing style meant some items could not be seen until the basket was actually opened up. This wasn't such a problem with food baskets, as the more expensive food gifts tended to be in large lidded hampers rather than open baskets, and seeing every component of food isn't as important.With this in mind we decided to test a few baby baskets at various price levels and styles to see if shrink wrap or cellophane wrap worked more effectively. The result was that any baby baskets that had been designed at the £65 & over price point looked much better with cellophane wrap as it really showcased all the items within. Any gift baskets under this price looked much better with the shrink wrap, as the flatter packing style suited the type of contents and every item could still be seen within the basket. It also makes sense in terms of labour as the shrink wrapping takes less time and the most popular baby baskets we sell are under £45.Which method of gift wrap would you prefer - shrink or wrap?Here is an example of a cellophane wrapped basket we created for a new member of our family, baby Charlie.