A desire to connect with others on a personal level and celebrate more occasions, more often, is resulting in a boom for our local gift-wrapping industry after COVID-19 initially shut down social contact.
Auckland-based Ribbon & Blues owners, Jane and Tim Francis, are noticing a big spike in demand for their range of gift wrapping and packaging products as people lean towards buying items that are more meaningful to give.
“One trend we’ve noticed post-COVID is that people are now more inclined to give gifts that are an enduring and lasting expression of care,” Jane says. “That also then flows onto their gift wrapping and presentation choices.”
“There is a lot wrapped up in what someone gives to another person; it says something about you. The presentation, rather than being an afterthought, is now considered an expression of refinement with a personal touch.”
Francis says exchanging gifts is no longer limited to just birthdays or Christmas either. “One of the biggest trends we noticed since 2020 was a massive jump in the number of wedding and newborn baby gifts. More people are also giving gifts for anniversaries, bridesmaid proposals, graduations and farewell parties, or just to say thank you or thinking of you. I believe this is a flow-on effect of people re-evaluating what’s important in their lives and wanting to nurture their personal relationships.”
Wrapping and presenting gifts is a way to not only express your individual taste but can appeal to people’s social conscience and outlook as well. Ribbon & Blues is the only New Zealand company to stock a range of printed grass wrapping paper – a sustainable and ethical product made in Germany. The company’s extensive range of ribbons, bags, boxes, wrapping paper, tissue and other associated accessories is also focused on being recyclable and biodegradable as consumers demand more environmentally-friendly options.
