With the gift-giving culture on the rise, people are more inclined to choose personalized gifts over other conventional items to make a lasting impression on others. Americans, both young and old, love to see their names engraved on things such as wallets, pens, and mugs. It makes them feel special and unique.
The international personalized gifts industry in 2019 stood at a value of $26.3 billion and is expected to reach $41.3 billion in 2026. This shows that the market’s experiencing exponential growth due to the rise in the gift-giving culture among people. Let’s look at a detailed overview of the personalized gifts industry.
The History of Personalized Gifts
The personalized gifts industry has gained popularity in the US in recent decades. Its roots stretch back to early American history when silversmiths used to practice their skills by engraving the names of their family members or their initials on jewelry and other items they manufactured.
As the country progressed and prospered, gunmakers would personalize their weapons by engraving their initials, and wood makers would show off their craft by personalizing and decorating trunks with the names of their loved ones or crests. These items were not mass-produced as they were only available for people who could afford them who were a small percentage of the overall population.
Nothing changed till the late 1950s when premade personalized gifts entered the US market. Local grocery stores, drug stores, and liquor shops were displaying items such as pencils with common names such as Tom, Linda and Dave engraved on them. People with unusual names couldn’t get these products as many of these were mass-produced in a factory that only used common names in the country.
Most of these items were considered to be inexpensive and cheap and were targeted at young adults. While most of these products are still available on the market, albeit with a variety of names, the personalized gifts industry has grown tremendously in the last 50 years. Advances in technology have been the biggest driver of change in the industry.
Items that took months to make and engrave, can now be made within days or even minutes, in some situations. You don’t need to go to a specific location to find personalized gifts, as you will find engraving being done in local shops. Furthermore, easy access to e-commerce, personalized gifts have seen a surge in demand.
More Choices, More Purchases
There has been an increase in the purchasing power of people due to the diversity of personalized gifts in the market. The increase in consumer purchasing power has also led to changes in buying patterns. Lifestyles, cultural changes, and social media are playing an important role in influencing people to opt for personalized gifts.
Furthermore, people are now widely celebrating special days such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and others which have led to an increase in the gift-giving culture in the US and across the world. As mentioned, with the rise of e-commerce, the personalized gift industry has seen a huge boom. People can now select from a variety of gifting options and get them customized without having to visit a physical store.
The onset of the pandemic has only given e-commerce more fuel to grow. New players and innovation have entered the gift-giving market making it more competitive which has only benefitted the consumer. Customized products are now expected in today’s gift-giving culture. Moreover, people are also emphasizing green gifting.
One such personalized gift company, Amour Prints is revolutionizing how people give gifts. The company offers personalized canvas prints which bring back memories. They specialize in wedding canvas prints, couple canvas prints, and song lyric canvas that are perfect gifts for special occasions.
Popularity Of Personalized Gifts
Currently, the personalized gift industry is valued at $31.63 billion which shows the immense popularity that customized presents have among people. As mentioned, the growth of e-commerce is a significant factor in the popularity of personalized gifts. People are more inclined to give personalized gifts because of the benefits it has.
First, it gives a personalized touch and represents your feelings and love for your gift’s recipient. Custom canvas prints, personalized watches, engraved jewelry, and initialed keychains may not seem as worthy as a new iPhone or a cool electronic gadget, but the memories it creates and the personal touch it offers is priceless. It shows that you’ve spent a considerable amount of time thinking about them and what gifts to buy them on a special occasion.
Second, these gifts are popular because they are everlasting. A bar of chocolate or a new iPhone will only be cherished till it lasts. However, a piece of engraved jewelry or embossed keychains will be treasured by your partner every time they look at them.
Third, these gifts are suitable for every occasion. You can choose romantic canvas art for your loved one on Valentine’s Day or get a personalized canvas print with the picture of your parents on Mother’s or Father’s Day. You can find the perfect custom gift for every occasion.
With such competitiveness in the market, companies are looking for something unique that makes them stand out from the rest. Amour Prints offers that experience to you. You can fill out a questionnaire and it will recommend products according to your recipient and the occasion. This is particularly useful in situations when you don’t know what type of gift your recipient would like for a specific occasion.
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Ava Thomas is a professional personalized gift production and shipping manager at one of the biggest gift companies in the country. She has extensive experience in the personalized gift industry, having worked with some of the leading organizations in the world.
She loves to write about her experiences in giving personalized gifts to her friends and family and cherishes the amazing reactions she receives from them. As an experienced professional she is one of the biggest advocates of the personalized gifting culture and encourages everyone to jump to the custom present bandwagon.
