The most fruitful and productive way to win people’s heart is by gifting them. It is a wonderful gesture to express love and care not just for the close ones but for acquaintances too. Presenting gifts bring smiles on loved ones’ faces. However, with increased consciousness and love for gifts with lot of creativity, gift wrapping has emerged as a serious business these days. It is not just the gift that matters, in fact how the gift appears from outside is also important. Hence gift wrapping is emerging as an exclusive business concept for aspiring entrepreneurs with gift wrapping service providers having taken franchise route for expansion. No doubt the industry is still in its nascent stage but it is expected to emerge as lucrative business opportunity.
Gift wrapping has lot of potential to generate big profit. A gift wrapping business is promising because the culture of presenting gifts is never going to end rather it has actually become more organised over the years. Shalini Beriwal, Proprietor, MAPP shares: “India is known for its big fat weddings and people exhibit lot of opulence while celebrating festivals and personal events like baby showers, anniversaries, etc. Even corporate sector is very conscious of its branding and using exquisite packaging in product launches and corporate events. Hence it is been utilised at all levels in the society and increasingly getting organised.”
Stimulating aspects
Increased consciousness, organised corporate sector, and retailers ready to provide ample choice for gifts and gift wrapping services and people’s willingness to spend some extra bucks to make their relations better has lead to the popularity of the concept. Also busy schedules never leave people with extra time to show their creativity in gift wrapping. This is where the need arises for getting it done from specialised services to make it a perfect gift wrap for various occasions. Ankita Jain, CEO, OM INCREDIBLE ARTISTRY: “There is a huge market potential in this concept as today people are broad minded and pockets for premium and elite weddings and packaging. Looking at today's trends the average budget for trousseau packing services is around 1-5 lakh depending on the socio economic class for a single premium wedding.”
Here we discuss some factors that encourage people to opt for gift wrapping services:
Book is known by the cover: A gift from a loved one is always a welcome however it is more appealing if packed creatively and is eye-catching. No matter how nice and expensive the gift is from inside the outer cover says it all as is the case with a book, the cover for which conveys what is their inside.
Busy schedules: In their busy schedules people do not get enough time to pack gifts attractively. Whereas if the gift is well wrapped it creates good impression in the mind of the recipients.
Occasions: The phenomenon of gift is more striking during special occasions like anniversary, birthday, festivals, marriage ceremonies, etc. During the gift giving seasons no one likes or has time to wrap his gifts. Instead, they assign this work to gift wrapping services and that’s where this business comes into the picture. It is essential to wrap the gift attractively to enhance its beauty.
Jain tells: “We provide exclusive trousseau packing services as we always go with the current trends, the right color combinations and eco friendly raw material. Also we make sure that our products are matching with each and every function and completely theme based as per bridal ceremonies.”
Protect damage: Gift wrapping add extra creative value to the gift as it protects the gift from damage or scratches and make it more appealing and attractive.
Money and boaster: People might not have time these days but they have disposable amount. To save their time and boast themselves in society they prefer to get gift wrapping service offered by organised brands.
Players in the field
Though this industry is still in its nascent stage, yet it is picking up pace due to lot of players entering the sector.
MAPP: Magnificence, a pioneer in the field of gift packaging, launched MAPP – Magnificence’s Academy of Packaging Professionals in January 2009. The brand plans to have a flourishing chain of over 200 franchisees in next five years. The brand’s franchisee demands an area of 1,000 sq ft with an invest amount ranging from Rs 15-20 lakh.
OM INCREDIBLE ARTISTRY: One of India's largest designer gift packing boutiques is OM INCREDIBLE ARTISTRY. They provide a large choice of gift packaging and related accessories which are not readily obtainable in the market. Presently they have 11 centres and plans to expand in 10 more cities in the next 6 months. They offer home-based and kiosk format franchisee which requires an investment of Rs 10 lakh.
Buds n Bites: Buds n Bites is an online business of momentum global, a Hyderabad based company. Understanding the emotional value that is attached with the gifts and importance of occasions in one s life they provide a chocolaty combination with floral art a ‘Choco-floral arrangements’. It offers franchisee with the demand of high visibility area around 300-400 sq. ft along with an investment fee of Rs six-eight lakh
Home-based break for women
Gift wrapping being a unique concept is also a great business opportunity for house-wives to be a home-based entrepreneur and to earn creatively. There is no age, education bar for women to start up with this business. Women have a unique sense of creativity and emotions which can be seen in their work as well. Jain share: “We are recruiting more and more women as they have a unique sense of creativity along with their ability to grasp things quickly and easily. OM INCREDIBLE ARTISTRY offers this unique home-based franchise opportunity where even housewives can create their own identity in the field of creativity and they can have a great source of income as well.”
Gift franchising
Gift wrapping business has great potential and is booming in the franchise sector. This new business concept is promising and will flourish more via franchising. It is a win-win concept for both franchisor and franchisee as said by Jain: “Today franchising is the best avenue to spread your business in a short span of time. It gives equal growth and revenues to the franchisor and the franchisee.”
Franchising helps a franchisees to grow well as it provides them training and material as Jain explicate: “We provide complete set up along with trendy and specialised product training to all our franchisees and their staff. We also update their creative skills as per the market trends time to time. Also we make sure that they are growing hand in hand with us.”
Pre-requisites for franchising
Gift wrapping business require very less investment to begin with. This unique concept of gift wrapping franchise demands an investment requirement of Rs10-15 lakh. One major advantage in gift wrapping business is that an entrepreneur does not need a great location and shelling out heavy rent. There is no need for a posh office base in a high-profile mall either. All that one needs is just a small space even within your house and a large worktable and its all set to start the business. To open a store with high visibility it requires an area of around 1,000 sq. ft.
Wrap up
Gift wrapping business sells two things convenience and time which nowadays people seek for. Looking at the aspects leading to the growth of the new trend it can rightly be said that the industry has the potential to emerge as a great business opportunity and it is a promising sector for women entrepreneurs.
