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CONTACT: Visibility, LenStein, 914-712-2610

Stevens, PA September 3, 2003 - As retailers finalize plans for their most importantselling season (the last two months of the year typically generate from25-40 percent of annual sales), holiday gift shopping will be even moreimportant as retailers work to make up for the year's weak first andsecond quarters.

"Convenience is gift shoppers' top priority this year," says Pam Danziger,president of Unity Marketing and author of Why People Buy ThingsThey Don't Need. "Shoppers seek special gifts that are just rightfor the recipient, but what they want most is to shop stores that areconvenient and make their gift shopping experience quick and painless."

So gift shoppers this year will return to their favorite mass merchants,such as Target, or major department stores where they get the widestrange of gift choices at the right price. From her research with highlyactive gift givers, Danziger shares strategies for retailers to increaseholiday gift sales.

1. Focus on enhancing the "gifting" experience, rather than on thegift: The goal of gifting is to emotionally connect the giverwith the recipient. The gift itself is the means to an end, and thatend is an emotional connection between individuals. Gift shopperswill reward retailers that help them enhance the gifting and giftshopping experience.



2. Know qualities shoppers want in a gift: With connecting thegoal, gift-givers seek gifts that show they know the recipient. Afterfinding the right item, gifters want quality and craftsmanship, uniquenessand an item that expresses their and the receivers' individuality.Giving the shopper a way to customize the gift and to add a specialtouch just for the recipient will be rewarded.



3. Convenience is key in shopping: While gifters want a special,emotionally evocative gift, they won't trudge from store to storeto find it. In choosing a store to buy gifts, they want first andforemost convenience, so they tend to shop where they shop for themselvesand know the layout. To maximize gift sales, retailers should compilea list of the top gift ideas for specific relations (e.g. husband,wife, child, coworker) and price points (e.g. $25 and under; $26-$50;$51-$100; $100+) and post this prominently at the front counter, thecash registers, on the window to entice shoppers in for the most convenientgift shopping experience possible. For those with room, end cap displaysor tables stacked with gift ideas draw crowds.



4. Gift certificates are key gifting strategy: Gift cards, ratherthan cash, are preferred by gifters because they show the gifter caresenough to have shopped. Too many stores make their gift certificateor gift card program an afterthought. This misses a HUGE opportunityto build shopper loyalty among both gift givers and gift recipients.Increasing sales of gift certificates should be a cornerstone of aretailer's gifting strategy, since with a gift card you touch twoshoppers, not just one. Gift cards should be appealing to give andreceive. Generic cards are hardly enticing . Cards should connectemotionally too, displaying popular licensed themes, such as HarryPotter, Lord of the Rings, SpongeBob, or other art that the individualwill want to give and receive.


5. Gifting goes on all year long: Gift shopping doesn't takeplace only in the last two months of the year. Heavy gift buyers,in particular, are always out and about, grazing for new ideas. Theybuy and stash away gifts all year long, so make gifting and gift shoppinga key retail focus throughout the year.



6. Put people back into your store: While retailers are workingto remove sales help and make the shopping experience do-it-yourself,gift shoppers value the personal touch. After all they are lookingfor an emotional experience in the gift they choose and the storethey shop, and they want knowledgeable, well-trained sales help toguide them. They also demand that the checkout process be as convenientas possible. Since everybody else is depersonalizing shopping, retailersthat put the personal back into it will be greatly rewarded.



7. Target the gifters' decision process: Gifters have a numberof critical decision points in the gift shopping process. They mustselect something that the individual wants within their price range.To help gifters find the right gift, prepare your staff with a listof open-ended questions they will help shoppers discover the perfectgift. Make sure sales staff know the stock and can intelligently interviewshoppers. The goal of gift retailing is to have the right item, atthe right price, for the right person on the right occasion.



8. Have brands and products people want NOW, not tomorrow or yesterday:Being on trend requires that you keep up with consumer passions andpreferences in key product categories. The Internet can be an effectivetool to follow the latest product fads and fancies. Be on the leadingedge in your product lines and get rid of last year's merchandiseif it's still hanging around, so that when the holiday rush hits,shoppers won't see your store looking tired.



9. Presentation matters: In gift giving, presentation counts.To maximize sales of gifts, make sure you offer expert-quality giftwrap services with a number of gift wrap options. Gift wrap can evenbecome a new profit center, if you think in terms of upscale luxurygift wrap choices. And make sure your store's name is included somewherein the gift package, either on the box, complementary gift card orgift receipt.



10. Position your store as a brand where gifters like to shop:Today branding your store and differentiating it as a good place toshop for gifts is critical. Make gifting a key feature of your brandby enhancing the shoppers' gifting experience, e.g. convenient, offeringnovel gift ideas and gift presentation options. Understand that giftingis a rare opportunity for a store to touch two consumer segments -the buyer and the recipient. Make the most of that opportunity bybuilding a loyal following among both.

A new research report is available from Unity Marketing summarizingthe findings from eight hours of in-depth interviews with shoppers selectedfor active gift buying and high levels of spending. Called Gifting:The Dynamics of the Gift Giving Consumer, this concise 60+ page reportcovers how shoppers feel about gift giving and receiving, attributes ofa good gift, how they set a gifting budget, how they select across differentcategories of products, where they shop and why traditional specialtygift stores don't meet their needs. Included are gifters' thoughts on15 major gift categories, such as candles, baskets, boxes and tins, personalizedgifts, licensed merchandise, tabletop and dinnerware and collectiblesand figurines to name a few. This research is sponsored in part by thegift industry's most forward-thinking companies, including Department56, Glass Baron, Lenox, Longaberger, and Walt Disney, among others.

About Unity Marketing
Founded in 1992 , Unity Marketing is a market research and consultingfirm that specializes in consumer insights for luxury marketers. Usingits proprietary 'why people buy' research strategy, Pam Danziger, companyfounder and author of Why People Buy Things They Don't Need (Ithaca, NY: Paramount Market Publishing, 2002) uncovers the motivations,desires and emotional needs that drive consumers to buy. Unity alsopublishes market research studies on the luxury market, art, jewelry,garden, home furnishings, gifts and collectibles, personal care andcosmetics markets, as well as the Luxury Business newsletter.Pam is currently working on her new book, Let Them Eat Cake: MarketingLuxury to the Masses (as well as the Classes), to be published inearly 2004.

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