When it comes to choosing the perfect gift basket for your loved one, friend, business associate or someone else in your life, there are many things to consider. Every person is different, and there are tens of thousands of choices when it comes to gift baskets, especially when you’re buying online. It might seem easy to just go to a top online retailer and choose a bestselling gift basket, but that could be a mistake. In order to choose the perfect gift basket for someone, and not just any gift basket, you’ll want to spend some time and put some real thought into it. Here’s a rundown of the different things you’ll want to consider when selecting gift basket gifts.
Age
First and foremost, you’ll want to consider the person’s age. Needless to say, the gift basket you buy for a child or teenager should be vastly different from a gift basket you buy for your boss or your grandparents. Always consider how age appropriate the items in a gift basket are before making a purchase. Many gift baskets contain wine, cigars or some type of event ticket, which may only be appropriate for certain age groups. Have someone on your gift list that loves chocolate? Watch out for chocolates in the gift basket that might contain liquor or wine, as these are common in higher end gourmet gift baskets. This type of treat would not be appropriate for a child or teenager.
Interests
After age, the most important consideration is the person’s interests. Think about their favorite things, like hobbies, TV shows, musical artists, authors, sports or sports teams. No matter their interest, there is likely a gift basket that is made or can be customized to suit their interest.
Relationship
It’s also important to consider the relationship you have with the gift recipient. Are you buying a gift basket for your friend who just had a baby? Or perhaps your husband asked you to purchase a gift basket for his boss’s birthday. The relationship you have with the person, whether it is a close familial relationship, friend, acquaintance or colleague will be of great importance when determine the perfect gift basket for them. A gift basket for a friend will likely be very different than one for a business acquaintance like a boss.
Occasion
The occasion is also critical. Gift baskets are popular gifts to give for just about any occasion, from birthdays to Christmas to Mother’s Day to Easter and every holiday or occasion in between. You’ll find thousands of gift baskets to choose from when you search for specific holiday gift baskets. Many you can even customize.
Location
The gift recipient’s location is also an aspect to which you’ll want to pay attention. For example, if your grandparents live in Minnesota, and you are sending them a Christmas gift basket, you’ll want to think about what they don’t have at that time of year, such as fresh fruits. This is why fruit gift baskets are quite popular to give at Christmas time. Maybe you know someone in Europe, India or Australia, and want to get them a gift basket, no matter where someone is, you’ll always want to consider their location, what they have access to and what they might enjoy at that time of year.
Budget
For many people, the budget for your gift basket will be a top concern, even more than age or interests. You’ll find thousands of options for gift baskets available when browsing online. Luckily, most online stores have a feature which makes it easy to sort items by a certain price. This can make things much easier if your budget is a primary concern. If you are on a limited budget, you’ll want to avoid certain things that can dramatically raise the price of gift basket, like wines or brand name gourmet foods. These items can often look great in a basket, but especially with brand name items like foods, you usually don’t get much for your money.
Special Concerns
Other important concerns include a person’s health, their diet and lifestyle. Many seniors may be on blood pressure medication or some other type of medication which interacts with alcohol; in this case, you’ll want to avoid gift baskets with wine, beer or liquors. If someone on your gift list is a diabetic and you want get them a gourmet food gift basket, it will be critical for you to consider the sugar and carb content of the foods in the basket. There are now many companies which will put together a custom gift basket which can include sugar free candies, chocolates and other items that any diabetic would surely enjoy.
Millions of people around the world follow special diets, whether for health, religious or moral reasons. If your gift recipient is a vegan or vegetarian, for example, then make sure not to get them any basket which contains meat or animal products of any kind. Even the inclusion of something like milk chocolate would not be appropriate to give to a vegan, since it contains milk, which vegans do not consume. For vegans, you might consider a non-food gift basket to be extra safe.
Surefire Gift Basket Ideas
Thankfully, no matter the person you are giving the gift basket to, there is one type of gift basket that is appropriate and appreciated by nearly everyone, and that is the gourmet food gift basket. Who doesn’t love getting tasty treats that they typically don’t get at other times of the year? Popular food items in gift baskets include chocolate, cheese, wine, nuts and fruit. You might consider a gift basket that includes all of the above. No one can resist gourmet food, that’s for sure.
A gift basket that combines chocolate and fruit together into an attractive package would surely be a hit. Consider our gourmet gift baskets which include our luscious gourmet apples, which start with a fresh and juicy granny smith apple that gets hand dipped in caramel, then covered in chocolate and topped with some nuts or candy. No one can resist our gourmet apples!