Your corporate holiday gifting guide

Showing a little appreciation in the workplace has proven to boost positive feelings, productivity, retention, and loyalty. A great way to show your gratitude is through the gesture of gifting. As we near the holiday season – one of the biggest gifting occasions of the year – it’s important to start planning your year-end corporate gifts. 

Planning employee and client holiday gifts

You may be asking: When is the best time to start planning holiday gift sends? The truth is, there’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to planning your corporate holiday gift sends. We recommend always starting early. That way you have time to:

1. Confirm your budgets and recipient list(s)

It’s likely that your company has set budgets for gifting initiatives, especially during economic uncertainty. While some teams may be tempted to cut gifting budgets to save money right now, we would not recommend that. A small gift can have greater benefits such as retention and loyalty, making the investment worth it. We recommend a minimum budget of $50 per person. Once you have an understanding of your budget, you can quickly identify vendors and gifts that fall within your price range.

 Pro tip: Keep in mind the various fees and duties that are applied to gifts sent internationally so there aren’t unexpected expenses! 

2. Review your recipient list 

It’s important to confirm your recipient list(s) so you can accurately plan for the number of employee and customer gifts you’ll be sending. We recommend triple checking this list with HR, team leads, client leads or anyone else appropriate, so no one is accidentally left off.

 Pro tip: Once you’ve confirmed your recipient list, you can bulk upload and automate your gift sends with a gifting platform, saving you time and limiting room for error. 

3. Identify where you’ll source gifts from

When planning your business holiday gifts, you’ll want to determine where you will source gifts from. You may decide on a vendor that will send every recipient the same item or rely on a gifting platform like Loop & Tie that gives the gift of choice based on the budget you’ve set. 

When identifying where you’ll source gifts from, here are some key things to consider:

 
• Do your selected gifts follow employee gifting and client gifting best practices?
 
• Are your gifts within budget?
 
• Does the vendor you’re working with ship to all of the locations of your recipients? 
 
• Will your recipients find your gifts to be meaningful and useful?
 
• Does the vendor you’re working with align with your company values?

4. Plan around product shortages and delayed shipping timelines

Last year, 60% of consumers were unable to get a product due to shortages. Product shortages and delayed shipping continues to impact companies and consumers and will certainly be a consideration during the holidays. If you want to make sure your corporate holiday gifts are received during the holiday season, we recommend planning ahead so your gifts have plenty of time to reach the intended recipient and you have time to pivot if needed.

 Pro tip: We’d recommend starting your corporate holiday gift planning in September so you have time to get all your ducks in a row.

5. Avoid delivery while people are traveling

If your holiday gift is delivered while your recipient is on PTO or traveling, there’s a chance they will never receive the gift. This is more common in business settings where gifts, especially food and drinks, may be put in a common break room to share. Planning around someone’s travel but also their location is key to getting your gift to your intended recipient.

 Pro tip: This is where gifting platforms like Loop & Tie have a huge advantage. You can send your gifts via email and rely on your recipients to confirm their address so that they can pick a gift they prefer and it gets to them on their terms. 

Templates for your business holiday gift sends

When you’re sending holiday gifts, it’s always a good idea to include a personal note with your send. Whether you’re sending a handful of gifts or hundreds, reinforcing your appreciation for your recipient is key. Here are four templated options you can use when sending your holiday gifts this year:

1. Employee holiday gift send templates

Messaging: Lead with appreciation and pull in information that is specific to the employee experience so that your message resonates with your recipients.

Option 1

Happy holidays, [First Name]!

It’s been quite the year at [Company Name]. [Summary of the year, whether related to growth of company, amount of products/services delivered, etc.] 

We’re so grateful for your dedication to our team, our customers, and the company we’re building. As a small token of our appreciation, we’ve partnered with Loop & Tie to give you the gift of choice this holiday season, so you can select a gift that is meaningful to you.

As we've worked on our sustainability and equity initiatives, we're excited to offer this carbon regenerative gift experience with an assortment of gifts that support minority-owned, women-owned, and local businesses. In case you'd like to pay it forward, we've also included a few charities that support our beliefs and values.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends, and look forward to a great 2023 with you.

Best,

[Name]

Option 2

Hi, [First name], 

Can you believe it’s [almost 2023 OR already 2023]? As I reflect on the past year, I can’t help but marvel at all that we’ve accomplished. I know [Company Name] would not be the same without you.

In a year with its highs and lows, I cannot thank you enough for the ways in which you showed up for our team and customers. To celebrate you and this past year, I wanted to send you a small token of appreciation. 

We’ve partnered with Loop & Tie this holiday season to send you the gift of choice so you’re able to select a gift that is meaningful to you.

As we've worked on our sustainability and equity initiatives, we're excited to offer this carbon regenerative gift experience with an assortment of gifts that support minority-owned, women-owned, and local businesses. In case you'd like to pay it forward, we've also included a few charities that support our beliefs and values.

I hope you [have/had] a great holiday season. I’m looking forward to a great 2023 with you.

Best,

[Name]

2. Client holiday gift send templates

Messaging: Lead with appreciation and a focus on your relationship.

Option 1

Happy holidays, [First Name]!

It’s been a great year and I’m so grateful [for the relationship we’ve built OR for our amazing customers like you]! I’m looking forward to [continuing to partner with you OR see where we go] in 2023.

To celebrate the end of the year, I wanted to give you the gift of choice through our partner, Loop & Tie. We're excited to offer this carbon regenerative gift experience with an assortment of gifts that support minority-owned, women-owned, and local businesses. In case you'd like to pay it forward, we've also included a few charities that support our beliefs and values. My hope is that you’ll select a gift as meaningful to you as you are to us.

I’m wishing you the happiest of holiday seasons and a great new year.

[Name]

Option 2

Hi, [First name], 

What a year it has been! I’m so grateful to have a customer like you and look forward to what we accomplish next year. 

To celebrate a great year and holiday season, I hope you’ll enjoy a gift of your choice through our partner Loop & Tie. My hope is that you’ll select a gift as meaningful to you as you are to us.

I’ll see you in the new year!

[Name] 

Are you ready to explore how your corporate holiday gift options can be streamlined with a gifting platform? Book a Loop & Tie demo today.