Two days before Christmas. Gray skies, icy air, and a race against time to buy the last gifts. What if, for once, we showed ourselves weak? After all, it would be enough to stop at the Fnac entrance hall, pick up a gift box and go home with the feeling of a duty not too badly accomplished… There is no harm in choosing simplicity , No ?
To relieve our guilt, let’s remember that we would be far, very far from being the only ones to give in. Every year, three million gift boxes are sold in around ten countries by Wonderbox, market leader in France. Smartbox, its great English rival, sells 3.5 million in around thirty Nations.
Typical portrait of the gift box buyer
Fabrice Lépine, CEO of Wonderbox, gives us a typical portrait of his clientele: “70% of our sales are made by women between 25 and 45 years old, whether for family, friends… The most typical case, it is a woman who is going to buy a box for her parents for Christmas. » Obviously, the end of the year is the key period, between Black Friday, December 25 and departure from work. Another peak takes place at the end of the school year, “period of Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, baccalaureate successes, gifts to school teachers, communions…”
Today, the market has reached maturity, analyzes Fabrice Lépine. Understand: growth is only progressing very slightly, when it is not stagnating. But inside, the gift box is constantly changing. “It is a very dynamic market which must constantly listen to its customers. Trends evolve quickly,” analyzes the manager.
Exception made for the best-seller, which remains unchanged over the years: the unusual weekend, like sleeping in a caravan, a teepee or a cabin in the woods. The entertainment side (attending a football match, a play, a one-man show) is becoming more and more important. “It’s a new offering in very strong growth,” continues Fabrice Lépine, who is gaining market share in two “historical” declining sectors, the box restaurant or massage/spa.
Impersonal, really?
Come on, let’s get started… the gift box continues to divide France under the tree. “Unusual”, “great” and “super practical” for some, “impersonal” and “a little easy” for others. “It’s the gift when you don’t have any ideas,” says Mariane, 32 years old and not really at peace at Christmas.
Fake trial? “Today, there are so many choices that when choosing which one to take, we enter into the personnel,” defends François Levêque, professor of economics at MineTech. Wonderbox, for example, offers 1,900 different boxes. As a result, it’s not a less intimate gift than giving a book.” Sylvie, 42, also defends the gift: “It allows you to experience something instead of piling up objects that you don’t use. »
Transformation of the Christmas gift
Only 51% of French people still want a traditional gift for Christmas, according to a recent Flash survey for Galeon. One in five dreams of an experience (travel, outing, weekend, what the boxes offer). Dominique Desjeux, consumer anthropologist, sees in the success of the box “an intermediary between the gift of pure money and the personalized gift”. Money? 22% of French people would like to have some for Christmas, according to the study. “But the subject is still a bit taboo in France,” continues the anthropologist, “and it does not work for all relationships. Grandparents will generally be admitted to their grandchildren, but the other way around will seem weird. »
The box would therefore be a sort of perfect compromise. A gift that is both personal and leaves a lot of margin. For example, in a romantic weekend box, you have the choice between several destinations. Enough to make the recipient happy – or unlucky. Mariane always: “It’s a gift that requires more care and organization from the one who receives it than from the one who gives it.” Dominique Desjeux philosopher: “A gift should simplify life, not make it more complex”.
The mental load, for the buyer or for the recipient?
“Consumption requires time,” recalls François Levêque, a fact not always taken into account when choosing a gift. According to a study by Console SecretBox in 2023, a person receiving a perishable box in one year will take on average 8 months to use it, and 14 months if it expires in two years. A 2019 Smartbox study showed that between 10 and 20% of boxes were never used. “But then again, the same thing can be said for many gifts,” recalls the economics professor.
Our file on Christmas
A mental load that is sometimes hard to bear for the recipient. But for the buyer, what a pleasure! Meeting with Danièle, 58 years old and five boxes in hand at Fnac. “It’s a practical gift that creates memories and is easy to buy. We’re not going to refuse to give a nice gift because it would be too “simple” to get. » Come on, we’re convinced, we’re going to take this Wine Getaway box.
Source: www.20minutes.fr
