After Zara, a well-known Spanish high street fashion retailer, launched its new store in south-central Mumbai’s top-end Palladium mall,it wore an empty with not many buyers around, mostly window-shoppers of them. Just a day later, hordes of eager customers were seen queuing up outside it, to make the most of an attractive discount offers on handbags, T-shirts, shoes, trousers etc. They all were fast grabbed in no time. This sums up the driving power of discounts for you; and also a lesson to be learnt for vendors - in a country that’s also obsessed with ‘mileage’, as a TV ad states.

This is reflective of a peculiar phenomenon associated with consumers in India, begging a question whether only discounts and offers get shoppers out on their toes. Maybe, it’s also that they await lower price-points. So to attract them, retailers have to try every trick in their books especially during the festive season. Probably, those in the industry of gifting  might have a thing or two to say about this..

Coming back to the topic, are the concerns over inflation and worries over faltering economy keeping consumers away, especially at mid and lower end of ‘discretionary’ goods? If a recent media report in The DNA publication is to be considered, even though footfalls have gone up, volumes in discount sales are rather suppressed. There has been a steady growth in value in segments like apparel. However, volumes have remained flat so most retailers are witnessing build-up of inventories, prompting them to advance discount ‘sale’ dates. They mostly launch these sales by January-end. This year though, the sales were launched as early as the first week of the new year.

According to market analysts, receding willingness or ability to purchase things causes a decrease in real spends, already down 7-10% from over 10% earlier. They point out the volume growth should be relatively better in the current quarter, albeit not up to expectations. Experts add that impulse shopping has been hit the most, with only end-of-season clearance sales providing some relief to retailers.

When will there be a revival in sentiment? Experts are banking on an improved global situation, having a spillover effect in India for a retail rebound. The key aspect to draw buyers for now is pricing as people indulge in ‘planned shopping’. Of course, establishing a strong brand identity is also very vital from the point of view of shoring up your sales.

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While shopping for corporate gifting items, it is essential that you look out for an item that will make the receiver go boundless with joy.

Here’s what you need to make sure while shopping for corporate gifting items:

1. Make sure you have an idea of what will make the receiver of the gift happy.
2. Make sure you do not go overboard your budget.
3. Make sure you do not buy very expensive gifts.
4. Make sure the gift you buy for the receiver has utility.
5. Make sure the gift is durable i.e. long lasting.
6. Make sure the gift will not annoy the person who receives the gift.
7. Make sure you buy only branded gift items or items which have been hand-made from a reputed distributor or dealer.
8. Make sure you negotiate for a lower price while shopping for corporate gift items.
9. Make sure you do not buy a gift that may be harmful to any person of any age in any way.
10. Make sure you look out for more number of items and more number of vendors before you decide to buy any gift for any of your corporate colleagues.

Shopping for corporate gifting is an art. You must know what gifts make a person smile. The more the gift is relative to the receiver, the more the chances of your gift making a long lasting impression. There are aplenty of corporate gifting items in the market but you must have very creative corporate gifting ideas.

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