The giftware industry continues to evolve at pace, driven by shifting customer expectations, emerging sales channels, and growing operational pressures.
To get a clearer picture of what’s shaping the sector in 2025, Fidelity Fulfilment partnered with the Giftware Association to survey 20 leading brands. These businesses shared candid insights into current customer trends, operational challenges, and their strategic priorities for the year ahead.
Here’s what we uncovered.
We asked: "What matters most to online shoppers beyond price and product quality?"
The top answers were:
Product choice – by far the most frequently selected factor.
Customer reviews – important for building trust and boosting conversions.
Free delivery – a strong driver of completed purchases.
Website experience – a smooth and user-friendly interface makes a big difference.
Surprisingly low ranking:
Loyalty schemes
Freebies
Fashion trends
Personalisation
Sustainability
Takeaway: Shoppers want variety, social proof, and ease of purchase. Brand loyalty seems fragile — it’s convenience and trust that count.
When asked what their main business focus for 2025 is, the most common answer was:
Product development and expanding product range.
Other notable priorities include:
Manufacturing and supply chain improvements
Fulfilment and delivery operations
A few brands are also focusing on:
Takeaway: Product is still king. While logistics and supply chain surface as a core focus, most brands are betting on winning by refreshing and expanding what they offer.
Fulfilment was the most common challenge for members when it came to processing and delivering orders.
Top challenges:
Accurate delivery
Ensuring products arrive undamaged
Reducing fulfilment mistakes
Members were asked to rank the most important traits they seek in a fulfilment provider. Here's what came out on top:
Top traits:
Proven, reliable operations – brands want 99%+ accuracy and on-time performance.
Flexibility – especially around volume spikes and late-stage product changes.
Self-serve, real-time data – for inventory and tracking visibility.
Pricing – competitive rates designed to reduce your logistics spend
Lower-ranked priorities:
Tech integration
Sustainability credentials
Multi-territory fulfilment capacity
Takeaway: Speed, control, flexibility and performance matter most. Tech and sustainability form the value that fulfilment providers can build on top of the essentials — but are not yet deal-breakers.
Members also shared what holds them back from launching in new markets:
Main challenges:
Securing retail buying contracts
Growing DTC sales
Back-office and logistics complexity
Takeaway: Market entry is risky and resource-intensive. Brands need partners who offer more than storage — they need strategic support.
Respondents were fairly evenly split between in-house fulfilment and using third-party logistics (3PL) providers
Takeaway: The choice to in-house or outsource often depends on a brand's scale, product type, and internal capabilities.
This survey reveals a maturing giftware sector that’s increasingly focused on product innovation, customer trust, and fulfilment performance. Brands are navigating operational pain points while planning for international growth and channel diversification.
To support them, service providers — from fulfilment to tech to consultancy — must offer more than just cost savings. They must deliver speed, clarity, and confidence in an increasingly competitive market.
Nodding your head along to the findings in this survey? We'd love to discover more about your brand's plans and help you strategise for growth.