Gifting market: Perennial

Today, it can be said that the global chaos and the political skirmishes in the country that led to the economic slowdown never deterred us from giving gifts to our loved or favored ones.  Customarily though, gift giving is occasion-driven. While a few have religious significance (like Christmas, baptism, etc.) and some are driven by personal milestones (like birthdays, weddings, etc.), others are mere creations of the retail industry players to entice buyers to spend. So that, today, we give gifts on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s day, Father’s day, etc. Gifts are even given on occasions the millennials fondly referred to as “monthsaries.”

The good news is, gifting market is no longer purely season driven. It is a year-round market. Notably, apart from person-to-person gifts, corporations or proprietors, are not only handing giveaways on holiday seasons. They also give gifts on their anniversaries. Traditionally, apart from their personalized giveaways, they are also gifting clients and employees with cakes, pastries, chocolates, hams, etc. Globally, this is a multibillion-dollar market.

This is confirmed by Fortune Business Insights in its updated report on December 5, 2025. It reported that the “global gift retailing market size was valued at US$475.00 billion in 2024.” It added that the market is “projected to grow from US$491.82 billion in 2025 to US$630.52 billion by 2032, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.61% over the forecast period.” It further stated that “Europe dominated the gift retailing market with a market share of 37.7% in 2024.”

That Europe dominates, the British Retail Consortium confirmed this. It reported that in the United Kingdom alone, the “corporate gifting sector is estimated at US$43.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach US$92.5 billion by 2033, driven by a 9.87% CAGR.” More importantly, personalized gifting is consistently on the rise and is the “fastest-growing segment in the UK.” It was “valued at roughly US$1 billion as of late 2024, with expectations to increase by US$1.26 billion through 2029.”

It was also highlighted in the same report that while Europe still leads in the gifting market, the Asia-Pacific is emerging as a major growth region. Fortunately, this is where we are.  And that it was due primarily to the e-commerce penetration in the region confirms this.

Traditionally, the market includes a “broad category of products such as accessories, home décor items, toys, chocolates, and greeting cards.” Also, while buying cards, flowers and chocolates are still among the most preferred, experiential gifts like throwing in dinner as part of their celebration is on the rise. Not to be outdone, corporations are also gifting their employees and customers experiential gifts like travels abroad.

Indeed, increasing gift-giving traditions and raising interest in unique presents boosts these product/services sales. Moreover, growing disposable incomes and consumer spending power fuel global gift retailing market growth. In addition, numerous companies worldwide offer products that are intended to be presented as gifts.

Also, apart from product innovations, the online distribution channels have contributed a lot in its surge. Yes, the likes of Amazon, Alibaba, Shopee and Lazada had something to do with that. One thing though that we should know is that several outfits have started differentiating themselves from these “online giants” by establishing “end-to-end” gifting platforms. One of these fast-rising companies is Sendoso. It is a US company that has “developed a popular gifting platform that allows businesses to send presents to their clients and staff.”

Certainly, this platform helps build relationship between businesses and their clients.  Using this platform, the subscriber (the business) can create the “perfect sending strategy that is fully integrated with its existing programs and campaigns.” Sending options can come in custom boxes, swag, food and wine, eGifts, etc. and at the same time ensure that these are timely, relevant, and completely customized or personalized to its recipients.

Indeed, for a business to grow, management must establish good relationships with its clients and their staff. Personalized gifting is one way of doing it. And doing it through a platform like this will make the goal easily achievable. It is a no-brainer.

As the manufacture of personalized gifts like couple’s shirts, personalized mugs, etc. are so prevalent in the country and are definitely on the rise, all we need to do is to develop an “end-to-end” gifting platform (like Sendoso) that can bridge the manufacturers, the gift givers and the recipients. Done, the gifting market will no longer be seasonal but perennial.