Common sense: Still the perfect gift

A story in today’s Marketing Daily indicates that during tough economic times, sales of food items has risen nearly 10%. Click here to read the story.

Implications: While many of the foods given as gifts could be classified as “specialty” or candy, the practice of using food or food baskets as a gift item seems to be pretty wide-spread. And why not: Everybody needs food, so it is a gift item that is likely to be used. (During a recession, especially, people seem to shy away from the purchase of things—including gifts—which might be seen as simply novel or unlikely to be used.)

Meanwhile, the sale of gift cards declined in 2009.

I understand the fall in gift card sales: If you’re a good shopper, you can find a sweater or power tool that looks like it cost much more than $40. If you buy a gift card for $40… it looks like $40 (except that the recipient has to spend it at a specific store or chain). The prior makes you appear more generous than the latter.

But this article left me thinking about the value of common sense necessities. Maybe some companies should be getting into the gift-card business. If food items are more popular during these kinds of economic times—everyone needs food—how about things like gasoline, automotive service, and restaurant gift cards?

Or, from your perspective—based on the business you’re in—maybe there are other forms of common-sense necessities that might make a great gift idea as we head toward the winter holiday season.

Now is a good time to be thinking of the possibilities.

Mike Anderson