As the year draws to a close — 2023 — just like any other year had many occasions and festivals where Indians enjoyed gifting. Citizens enjoyed gifting to the extent that more than 15 million flowers were part of the gifts with roses taking centre stage.
According to a yearly analysis by FNP (Ferns N Petals), 2023 is a year where cakes took the second spot as the most favoured gifting category. Over seven million cakes were sold, averaging a remarkable 11 cakes delivered per minute.
When it comes to regions, Mumbai emerged as the "rose capital", giving the highest number of roses, adding a fragrant touch to the city's vibrant spirit.
Similarly, cities such as Patna, Ranchi, and Bhubaneswar embraced the sweetness, with a whopping 40% of gifts comprising cakes and chocolates.
Mumbai, Delhi, and Chandigarh adorned their moments with a floral elegance with most opting for flowers as the most preferred gifting item, while the green belts of Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai flourished with plant love, making indoor plants a popular choice among the ‘plant-parent’ with 10-15% of the gifts comprising of green potted plants. The most preferred varieties emerged — Jade, Money Plant and Bamboo Plant. Overall, the plant category saw a 10% spike in terms of orders in 2023 (from last year).
Besides roses (of different colours) pink carnations, purple and blue orchids followed by white carnations, yellow gerberas and white lilies were the most frequently gifted. However, roses, and carnations followed by orchids are the top variants.
Gift hampers, too, were preferred. The gift hampers category saw a jump of 60% since last year with healthy snacking and cosmetic hampers being the most preferred. The sustainable gifting hamper category saw a 15% surge in terms of gifting, as per Ferns and Petals.
Plantable rakhis, upcycled plant pots, greeting cards and bookmarks made of seed paper, upcycled fashion accessories, wall art, sculpture, décor made of salvaged metals and fabric, sustainable candles were the top pick during occasions like Raksha Bandhan and Diwali, the analysis said.
The average transaction value for gifts increased by 15% this year, indicating consumers' willingness to spend on thoughtful presents.
And who says only women are good at gifting? This year, 56% of men exchanged gifts whereas 44% of women decided to give gifts on many occasions, the company said.
The age divide, too, is interesting. As many as 34% of people between the ages of 25 and 34 years decided to present gifts, followed by 23% between the ages of 18 years and 24 years. It seems that the middle-aged decided to give less. According to the analysis, only 20% were in the age group of 35-44 years who decided to exchange gifts.
Overall, the total number of gifts exchanged throughout the year from Delhi was the highest. Delhiites gifted as many as 6,20,000 gifts during 2023 followed by Mumbaikars who gifted 5,50,000 and those from Bengaluru gifted 3,30,000 gifts.
Vikaas Gutugutia, Founder and Managing Director of FNP, said, “The art of gifting has seamlessly integrated with the digital age, with e-commerce playing a transformative role. The personalisation it offers has redefined the gifting experience, bringing emotions to the forefront.”
“Looking forward, the evolving landscape of gifting is fascinating. New-age consumers are not merely seeking gifts; they are seeking stories, experiences, and connections. The future holds exciting possibilities, and we are ready to continue our journey of redefining the essence of gifting,” he added.
Some other notable trends:
Gifts sent from the cities during key occasions and festivities:
> V-Day
– 17,300 from Mumbai, 15,700 from Delhi-NCR, 9,300 from Bengaluru, 3.5K from Pune.
> Raksha Bandhan – 31,600 from Mumbai, 36,500 from Delhi-NCR, 17,800 from Bengaluru, 7,500 from Pune.
> Diwali – 5,200 from Mumbai, 8,000 from Delhi-NCR, 3,000 from Bengaluru.
Flowers and Cakes sent from key metros:
> Delhi – 1,70,000 flowers and 1,50,000 cakes gifted.
> Mumbai – 1,70,000 flowers and 1,12,000 cakes gifted.
> Bengaluru – 85,000 flowers and 83,000 cakes gifted.
Smartphone and Gifting:
> Consumers who own iPhones spend between ₹1,800 and ₹2,000.
> Samsung and OnePlus users spend an average ₹1,500.
> Redmi and Xiaomi owners on average spend ₹1,000 on gifts.
(Edited by : Sangam Singh)
First Published: Dec 20, 2023 7:29 PM IST
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