Chocolates, cookies and candy create a great assortment for clients ordering Valentine’s Day gifts for spouses, daughters, and other relatives, but don’t forget to offer spa gift baskets as alternatives.

Soaps, sponges, sprays, moisturizers, powders, and bath pillows arranged in a miniature tub were a big seller for me in 1996 after showing it on a local New York television morning show.

Today, the golden shoe containing bath beads, in the above picture, is ordered by customers who request it for shipping to relatives worldwide.

One gift basket design also included a plush dog with a ball and chain on his leg dressed in a T-shirt with the words Prisoner of Love written on the front and back. The dog was so popular that I couldn’t keep it in stock for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.

What’s most important about selecting inventory is making sure that it can be transferred to another event later that year. I didn’t realize this my first year in business and had to eat or throw away some items because they could not be saved until the next Valentine’s Day.

One more tip: identify your Valentine’s Day gifts with special names. That will create a whirlwind of excitement that encourages prospects and clients to buy quickly.

What methods are planned this year to market your Valentine’s Day gift baskets?

Shirley George Frazier

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Don’t put away those red-colored baskets and supplies.

Valentine’s Day is just one month away and with it the opportunity to create an avalanche of sales on this high-income occasion.

Welcome to the fifth edition of the Gift Basket Blog Carnival where industry experts share their wisdom on creating gift baskets that clients and recipients will remember long after the chocolates are gone.

Flora Brown of Gift Basket Business World explains three ways to start the Valentine’s Day sales process now.

Her first idea was a hit for me a few years back. Along with the flier that Flora mentions, I included a box of Red Hots with each presentation, and that put a smile on many corporate clients’ faces as they placed orders for delivery to their spouses and female relatives.

Lorie Obernauer of Apex Gift Foods tells how to expand your reach through collaborative efforts with neighboring stores.

Lorie’s suggestion is an opportunity that may be overlooked because of the Internet’s popularity. You might find that community strength brings you more sales than first realized.

Finally, here’s an article I wrote several years ago detailing the types of containers and products that have been popular in my designs and may be good candidates for yours, one of which is shown in the picture above from The Gift Basket Design Book.

How do you intend on approaching clients with your Valentine’s Day message?

Shirley George Frazier

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