Trays Take Trickery Out of Design Work
One day a well-known retailer will see your design work and ask for your services to help them create a prototype gift basket to sell in their store.
This contact occurs more often than you realize, as retailers understand that outsourcing a project to a more-experienced designer is a smart way to complete a project.
I know because it’s happened to me.
The last time was several years ago when a popular wine retailer asked me to create a gift that staff in all of their stores could easily recreate.
I’ve mentioned trays to you in the past. This wood-based container is a corporate favorite, and in general, a popular container for many occasions. Read more about tray-based gifts at BasketsGiftBaskets.com.
For me, the tray ensured that bottles and all accompanying items would be secure as they traveled to its destination, and designing a prototype with it meant there wouldn’t be as much labor involved as with a basket.
When you get the call from a retailer who’s ready to work with you, first consider the products to be selected so that you know which type of container is best. Sometimes a basket is preferred, and other times a tray will be the better option.
Did you choose to work with trays at the beginning of your business or when a customer requested it?
Why is Shrink Wrap Your Choice?
Shrink wrap was not my first choice of material when closing my gift basket designs. At the time, the cost for a shrink wrap machine seemed astronomical, a supply that only large, well-capitalized retailers could afford.
Shrink wrap bags weren’t widely distributed either, so I wasn’t able to try that product to see if it was an alternative to buying a large machine.
That’s why I stayed with cellophane for a long time, which you’ll learn more about on the CellophaneWrapTips.com site.
Then I learned that bags and shells were available through supply distributors, and that’s what introduced me to the world of shrink wrap.
Today, shrink wrap of all styles is much more affordable than the costs I remember back in the 1990s. Even if you work in a home-based space, there’s room for shrink wrap in your inventory in terms of cost and space.
I often attend trade shows and watch a shrink wrap supplier demonstrate the machine he’s selling, and I notice that gift basket retailers stand beside me watching, too.
What’s your experience with shrink wrap? What made you decide to bypass cellophane and basket bags and go straight for investing in a machine?
Baskets for Back to School
Designers will be creating gift baskets for delivery to new and returning college students worldwide.
Are these accounts on your agenda?
If not, what’s your plan to capture a sizable share of the market?
My first plan years ago included promoting baskets with multiple snacks and school supplies to family members best in line to buy, and that did not include parents.
Colleges allow you to connect with prospects in unique ways that are not difficult to pursue.
What’s your approach to get back to school basket orders?
Gift Basket Weekend News
Have you joined the Gift Basket Facebook Group?
Taharia Fong, my assistant, is the group’s new administrator.
She’ll make sure that I address questions or comments that you submit and also keep me on track to offer you freebies not available elsewhere.
Join the group, and please welcome Taharia.
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Did you miss this week’s newsletter? The latest issue is at GiftBasketNewsletter.com, along with a valuable offer that expires on Monday.
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A new designer asks if there is a correlation between basket size and number of items. My response is at Ask The Gift Basket Expert. How do you choose how many items to place in your baskets?
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