This last year has been a tough one for everybody. We’ve spent more time apart from our relatives than ever before, and even when we have seen them, we’ve often had to stand 6 feet away. However, things are looking up and it seems we’re on our way back to normal life. It seems the news this year has been one negative story after the next, but what we don’t often focus on is the positives we can take from it all. We’ve learnt to slow down and take time for ourselves. We’ve picked up new hobbies and learnt some new skills- I personally taught myself how to do a rubix cube (thanks to a youtube tutorial). Most importantly, we’ve reconnected with people that we may have lost touch with and realised the importance of showing love and appreciation to those close to us. Whether it be through a zoom quiz with the family or a virtual lunch date with a friend, we’ve adapted to our new normal, all the while forming new relationships and building on our existing ones.

Gift-giving in 2020

The last year has also brought about change in the gift-giving industry. We’ve seen countless important occasions cancelled this year, or at least rescheduled. When it comes to weddings, graduations and birthdays, people have been forced to think outside the box. Many of us turned to the internet for ideas- according to Google Search Data, global searches for “online gift” increased by 80% between 2019 and 2020. People wanted gifts that were more personal, in order to try and help soothe the anxiety and uncertainty of life in lock-down. We also saw an increase in people choosing to support local and small businesses, as opposed to the big brands we so often buy from.  Nucleus Commercial Finance found that 63% of consumers have made a conscious effort to support local small businesses since the pandemic started- we love to see it!

Testimonials

Here at Baskets Galore, we’ve also noticed that gift-giving has expanded beyond the typical special occasions such as birthdays or weddings, and is now being used as a way to keep us connected, while we’re apart. More often than ever, people are sending gifts for no particular reason or occasion, other than to show love to the recipient on the other end. Here is a glimpse at some of our favourite testimonials from the last year.

“Beautiful basket! And an excellent service. My sister was so happy and her family too. It was a nice way to tell them from the distance, from Chile, we love you guys!! Thank you!!”

"A really lovely way to compensate for not being able to be together due to the current COVID restrictions. Huge thanks to all the BG team."

“ A perfect way to let my loved ones know I was thinking of them from over here in Canada." (Kerry, D)

“My mum has been feeling down lately due to being stuck indoors. I ordered her a basket to cheer her up and she was so happy she cried." (Franki, P)

We’re hoping that this continues as we come out of the pandemic, and so we’ve created a new range of Best Wishes Gifts- designed to keep you connected with those that you love. The new era of gifting is a welcomed change that will bring us closer and make the act of giving truly meaningful once again. You can see our new Best Wishes Gifts here: