4 Customer Appreciation Gifts They’ll Actually Appreciate

‘Tis the season for thanks and giving. As you reflect on months past, the struggles endured, and the wins celebrated, keep your customers top-of-mind.

Their loyalty now and in the years ahead is what makes your business not only possible but profitable. Especially if you subscribe to the Pareto Principle, which suggests that 80% of your profits come from only 20% of your regularly returning customers.

For the sake of retention and creating an experience customers will not only love but tell others about, consider giving back. Here are some ideas for customer appreciation gifts they’ll actually appreciate.

Functional Swag

Branded swag can be a great investment for businesses looking to give a little something extra to their customer base. It all depends, of course, on whether the promotional items are actually useful in the eyes of the person receiving it.

Otherwise, you’re simply sending them something they’ll toss in the closet. Instead, get personal with your approach.

You don’t have to send every customer a different item, but you should take into consideration the personas you’re catering to. Generally speaking, what are your customers interested in as people? What are their values?

More likely than not, the answers to those questions align with aspects of your business. If you’re catering to a younger audience that’s hip on returning trends, a branded fanny pack might be a fun way to connect. For the outdoorsy and eco-conscious, consider a high-quality BPA free water bottle.

Choose an item that’s relevant to your audience. To spice up the approach beyond a logo, you could even work with an up-and-coming artist on the design and make the item a limited time add-on to all orders placed within a set timeframe.

A Thoughtful Thank You

You don’t have to make a grand gesture to show appreciation. Sometimes a simple, genuine thank you goes a long way.

With a wide selection of pre-made Solutionshop templates available through Canva, it’s easy to put together order inserts. Use them to reflect on the year and show thanks to your customers for their support. You can even incorporate a bonus discount code to be used on future orders.

A Charity Donation

There’s a lot to be said for giving back as a reflection of your company’s people and values. This is probably why 70% of Canadians are more likely to purchase from companies that support a good cause.

Moving into the holidays, pick a charity (or handful) to contribute a percentage of your sales to. Advertise it accordingly on your product pages, confirmation emails, and other marketing channels as it makes sense.

To make the experience feel even more personal for customers, you could even give them a selection of charities to choose from. At checkout, they can choose who to support based on causes that are most important to them.

Surprise Upgrades, Discounts or Samples

Discounts can be a great way to give back while also encouraging future sales. To sweeten the deal, consider an extended or non-existent expiration date on the discount for your most loyal customers.

In addition to discounts, you can also explore surprising them with upgrades like expedited shipping or relevant bonus items. These are things that can either be communicated upfront or after purchase through purchase page confirmations and emails.

Samples also provide a direct way of connecting loyal customers with new products or ones they’ve yet to try but would likely be interested in. For example, if you’re releasing a new shade of lipstick or a new flavor of tea, send exclusive samples to those already ordering your lipsticks and teas on the regular.

Want more gift ideas? Flip through Staples’ 2021 Holiday Gift Guide to find something for everyone on your list.