Understanding the Different Duty Free Gifting Occasions
Gifting continues to be one of the most important purchase occasions within the Travel Retail channel. However, when discussing gifting, we often group this into a single ‘gifting occasion’ or segment shopper into overall ‘gifters’.
However, as covered in Pi Insight’s Global Shopper Database, there isn’t one single ‘gifting occasion’ in Duty Free, but rather a collection of different occasions, each with its own motivations, shopper needs and purchase behaviours. Understanding these differences is important for retailers and brands looking to optimise their product ranges, promotions and in-store experiences when considering the gifting occasion.
Looking at the leading reasons for purchasing gifts in Duty Free, we see four key occasions:
- Gifts from my travels (44%): By far the leading gifting occasion, with travellers looking to bring something home for others. This creates a strong opportunity for destination-inspired products, local specialities and Travel Retail exclusives that offer something different from what’s available at home
- To say thanks (21%): Gifting is often about showing appreciation, whether for family, friends or colleagues. Products that feel thoughtful, premium and offer good value can be particularly appealing for these occasions
- For a treat (18%): Sometimes gifting doesn’t need a specific occasion. Travellers simply want to treat someone special
- For a birthday (17%): A more specific and often more planned gifting occasion, where shoppers are more likely to have a particular product or budget in mind. Here, product choice, gifting suitability and presentation can all play an important role in the final decision
In simple terms, whilst two shoppers may both be buying for a gift, if one traveller is looking to pick up a small gift to bring home, whilst the second is looking for a meaningful birthday present or a premium thank-you gift, their expectations, motivations and decision making will be different, and we need to consider this whenever we are looking at de-coding the gift buyer.
To find out more, download the infographic, What are the key Gifting Occasions, from the Resource Hub.
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