How to choose the right gift? Read our tips for successful gift selection

The difficulty of choosing a gift is a universal and relatable problem. It arises for almost everyone around occasions such as birthdays and becomes especially pertinent around Christmas. Do you have someone in your circle who is the undisputed world champion of gift-giving, perhaps secretly able to read minds? Or are you like the rest of us mortals, always wondering if your gift choice will hit the mark?

If selecting a genuinely pleasing gift for your own family and friends proves challenging, choosing gifts for employees, clients, or business partners takes this challenge to a whole new level. When even guessing the gift preferences of loved ones can make one doubt oneself, it's impossible to truly know what employees or partners would appreciate. After all, each gift recipient is unique, and there are as many preferences as there are ideas.

Is there such a thing as a universally suitable gift?

What if the choice were a safe and generic gift that no one could possibly be upset about? Nice wool socks, a bottle of sparkling mulled wine, or an impressive gourmet basket? After all, everyone wears wool socks in winter, and doesn't most people enjoy mulled wine or indulging in treats?

But what if the recipient receives similar gifts from others every year, already has 50 pairs of wool socks at home, or turns out to be allergic to mulled wine spices? How memorable would such a gift be?

Surely everyone has heard stories of tragicomic Christmas or other milestone gifts that have been more humorous than anything else, like a kilo of chocolate given to someone on a sugar-free diet. Many have themselves received gifts that leave them unsure whether to cry or laugh in remembrance, even though the giver's intentions were – naturally – only good. How can one rise above such stories as a gift giver and aim straight for success?

Why is choosing a gift so difficult?

There's an eternal dilemma when it comes to giving gifts; asking might reveal what the recipient would appreciate, but it could spoil the element of surprise that is at least half the joy of receiving a gift for many, if not more. When employers were asked what the most challenging aspect of gift-giving is*, the answer was unequivocally the difficulty of choosing the right gift—not the budget or logistics.

From an ecological perspective, giving unnecessary items isn't sustainable. The modern-day materialistic abundance has rapidly shaped the world and its needs, but the beautiful psychological significance of giving and receiving gifts hasn't changed. That's why a high-quality throw blanket might be a great gift for someone, but not for everyone. Therefore, it's worth taking a moment to consider what would be a genuinely suitable gift for the recipient, whether it's in personal life or in business relationships.

Consider these things when choosing a gift:

1. Who is the recipient and what might they appreciate?

The first pitfall in gift-giving is often when an enthusiastic gift-giver falls in love with an idea simply because it seems like a good one to them. Why does this often lead astray? The enthusiastic gift-giver might unintentionally project their own desires onto the recipient, which is quite human.

A subscription to a nature magazine might seem like an amazing gift idea for an outdoors enthusiast. However, it could be forgotten that the recipient might not share the same enthusiasm for those topics. So, remember to first think about what the recipient truly likes, even if those preferences might not be on your own wish list.

2. What is the occasion?

Sometimes, the difficulty in choosing a gift can stem from the nature of the occasion itself. For example, what should one give to someone retiring, so the gift doesn't seem to emphasize their retirement age? It's a new phase of life, but what kind of gift would be fitting to celebrate it?

The situation itself might be a place of adaptation and life change, which is why many would prefer to choose an inspiring gift that reflects the personality of the person being celebrated. A graduation gift, for example, might be quite different from a gift celebrating the birth of a baby.

3. What is the appropriate monetary value for the gift?

Sometimes, plenty of fun gift ideas may come to mind, but ultimately, there needs to be a reasonable budget for the gift. The budget also depends on what types of gifts are appropriate in different contexts; a gift worth several hundred euros might be just right for a loved one on a special occasion, but if given to a colleague, it might seem disproportionately valuable.

An extravagant gift might inadvertently create a sense of indebtedness, which undermines the idea of giving the gift. If gifts are given in a business context, it's also important to remember that the gifts should be of similar value, even if they are personalized and unique in content.

4. Does the recipient already have everything? Would a non-material gift suffice?

Some people already have everything, but it would be nice to acknowledge them somehow on their special day. This might be the most challenging group of recipients, causing even the most creative gift-giver to scratch their head. The gesture itself feels important, but what to give in such a situation? Intagible gifts might be the best fit in such cases: perhaps a streaming service subscription, a workout program, or even virtual movie tickets?

Donating to charity has also become increasingly popular, especially if there's a cause close to the recipient's values.

Give the perfect gift while maintaining the element of surprise with a gift card

When you want to be sure your gift hits the mark while keeping it a surprise, offering the freedom of choice through a gift card is a wise decision. The Delicard® gift card can accommodate both intangible gifts and carefully selected, high-quality, and responsible food and goods products. Delicard® is suitable for both corporate use and for giving to loved ones.

The versatile selection is tailored to meet modern and individual Christmas gift wishes. The recipient of a Delicard® gift card can choose from Scandinavian design items, outdoor gear, kitchenware, but also streaming services, donations to charity, magazine subscriptions, workout program memberships—or even a Christmas tree, if they wish.

Let the gift recipient choose their own charity

A charitable donation can be the Christmas gift that brings the best holiday spirit to the recipient. To ensure that the chosen cause is truly close to the heart of the donor, you can offer a choice even in this gift. Those who favor charitable giving can choose to redeem their Delicard® gift card for an annually changing charity. This year, the recipient can choose to donate to WWF for Baltic Sea conservation, Mieli ry for mental health work, the Heart Association to save lives, or the Cancer Foundation for cancer research and patient support.

In the Delicard® range, there's also the option to purchase a named tree or sponsor a beehive, thus supporting the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. Previously, donations have been collected for SOS Children's Villages and AAMU Finnish Children's Cancer Foundation.

Delicard® is also suitable for tax-free employee gifts

The Tax Administration determines that employee gifts are tax-free up to 100 euros per year. Delicard® is particularly suitable as an employee gift because it meets the Tax Administration's requirements for tax exemption. According to an Edenred survey, both employers* and employees** consider the value of a gift to fall within the 50–100-euro price range.

When purchasing Christmas gifts for employees, the same gift must be provided to all employees at the same value, chosen by the employer, with a limited selection, and a value of up to 100 euros per employee per calendar year. Delicard® meets these requirements, making it not only a fitting and individual gift but—best of all—a tax-free one.

Source: Edenred survey on corporate gift culture, Autumn 2023 (N=683)

** Source: Edenred survey on corporate gift culture, Autumn 2021 (N=812)