Everyone likes receiving gifts, either as something practical or something fun or sentimental, and there’s all kinds of things that a person could give as a gift, depending on the occasion or who they’re giving a gift to. Birthdays are a common time for little gifts or big gifts, and so are the winter holidays such as Christmas and Hanukkah, or even New Year’s or Valentine’s Day. A person’s choice of gifts might also depend on the recipient’s age, sex, or personal preferences; a middle-aged man would want something different than a teenage girl, and an elderly couple would have different ideas for an anniversary gift than younger adults. Still, giving little gifts can be a lot of fun and show how much the sender cares, and gifts can be silly, sentimental, useful, or any combination. What are some general trends in giving gifts? And what might some little gifts mean to someone who gets them? Ideas for little gifts or ideas for stocking stuffers are boundless.
People and the Gifts They Give
Big and little gifts alike can show how much the sender cares about the recipient, and there’s some statistics out there that track gift giving, e-commerce for little gifts, and more to see how Americans today give things to others. For example, a 2015 survey done by UGiftIDeas found that over half of all respondents, 58.79% of them, agree that gift giving makes their relationships more meaningful, and as of 2017, it was predicted at the time that 86% of all Americans, a great majority, planned to buy presents during that holiday season, mainly for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and any other seasonal celebrations or events. And lots of people are buying these gifts online, if they aren’t making gifts themselves. E-commerce, the act of buying from online catalogs, is growing fast, and this includes gift items ranging from mini margarita glasses to paint sets to other unique gifts online. As of 2015, for example, e-commerce sales made up about 7.2% of all retail sales, and that figure may grow as e-commerce takes off. Lots of consumers are buying online more than once; a 2017 survey found that 40% of American Internet users had bought items online several times every month. Fun gifts ideas can easily be included in all this. What might they be?
Gifts For Any Occasion
Some gifts work better for some times of the year than others, and many personal events or holidays have standard gifts for giving, but a gift giver can always get creative and make or buy something unique while still on-theme. The winter holidays are good start. Some gifts are simply general retail items that people ask for, but more personal gifts may be given too, and little gifts may include earrings or other jewelry, or items of religious significance. Some recipients may like gold or silver Cross decorations, for example, or a Jewish couple may receive ornamental menorahs or similar items. And during St. Valentine’s Day, flowers are a common gift for men to buy for their girlfriends, fiancees, and wives, with red roses being a staple, but there is some room for creativity here. Different flowers have different meanings, and a person could order a custom bouquet from a florist that is tailored for its meaning. Framed photos of the couple are another great gift idea and can be personal, something very on-them for a couple’s holiday like this.
Personal milestones or anniversaries call for gifts, too. Women may like jewelry, a handbag, or a visit to a nail salon or a vacation to get away from it all. Men may appreciate gifts such as fancy watches, cuff links (fancy or humorous designs make for a great gift), an expensive tie, or a new wallet. Also, gifts work great for a milestone such as a wedding or an adult child moving out. A young man or woman may appreciate fun little gifts to celebrate them becoming an independent adult, anything from potted plants to photo frames to items tailored to the person’s interests or hobbies. Wedding gifts, meanwhile, are often practical for the couple’s upcoming lives, such as kitchen supplies or small appliances.