Wrapping Paper or Gift Boxes, the Advantages of Each Option for Businesses

Adding a gifting option to your website can have many benefits; your business is able to potentially attract more customers, and you can charge a higher price for items that have been gift-wrapped. There are two main options when it comes to gift options, the first is gift boxes, and the second is wrapping paper. In this article, we take a look at both options to help you decide what is best for your business.

Speed and efficiency

An important consideration when choosing between wrapping paper and gift boxes is how quickly and efficiently items can be prepared. Gift wrapping is often much slower compared to placing items in a ready-made gift box. You might find this slows down your production line and impacts your speed of delivery. There are some people that can wrap products and boxes in wrapping paper very quickly, but most will find using a gift box a quicker and more efficient option.

Consistency

When sending products to customers, it's important that all items are consistent; this extends to the wrapping, gift box and opening experience. Generally, when it comes to consistency, gift boxes are the best solution. Wrapping paper needs a certain level of skill which can take time to get right and ensure every item looks consistent. Gift boxes, however, provide a much more consistent experience to each and every customer. This can help prevent issues with customers not receiving the experience they expect.

Cost

There isn’t the cheapest option when it comes to gift boxes vs wrapping paper; it will all depend on the quality of the paper or box and the size needed. You may be able to source large rolls of kraft paper that can be used as wrapping paper to create a rustic look very cheaply; printed paper and gift boxes are likely to be more expensive. It's important to do your research and find out what each option costs per item you’re sending. You can then work out from this how much you need to charge for your gift wrapping or gift box service.

Printing and personalisation

Both wrapping paper and gift boxes can be printed on and personalised for your business needs. You can use wrapping paper in conjunction with labels and gift tags to add a personal message to your products. The same can be done with gift boxes; however, printing on a gift box is easier if you want to create an experience for the customer when opening the product. Take a gift box with a lid, for example; you can print on the inside of the lid and at the bottom of the box below the products. When printing on wrapping paper, it's hard to know where the print will be placed when the product has been wrapped.

Protection and shipping

Many items are sent in the post to customers; gift boxes can help protect the items inside by adding another protective layer that can be filled with protective wrapping or void fill. Wrapping paper, on the other hand, doesn’t provide as much protection to the product. However, it's less likely to make the items bigger, which could help reduce the weight of the package and, therefore, the cost of shipping.

Generally, for most businesses, gift boxes are a better option; they save time, look more consistent, can be printed to provide a great experience and provide more protection for the product. However, despite this, many businesses opt for the often cheaper option of gift wrapping. If you plan to add a gift option to your business, consider how it would fit into your current production and delivery process and weigh up your options. You could even A/B test using wrapping paper and gift boxes to see which works best for your business. Feedback from customers is also useful to see what they’d prefer and how they rated the gifting option you offered on your website. It’s always a good idea to showcase images of your gifting options so customers can see what they will be getting for the extra cost. This way, they can’t be surprised if the item turns up in a gift box and is not wrapped as they expected.