The holiday season is rapidly approaching and with that comes the headache (for some people) of finding the perfect gift for each person on your list. Asking people what they want for the holidays (or any other occasion) directly eliminates the element of surprise and thoughtfulness, and while most people like getting gift cards, they are about as impersonal as gifts can get. There are several Websites out there that aim to help you find the perfect gift, but one in particular has caught our attention.
Wantful is a gift-curating service that not only eliminates the hassle of shopping for gifts in the middle of the holiday bustle, but also ends up looking like a very thoughtful and sophisticated gift, no matter your budget. The service uses information entered by you about the occasion for the gift and who it is intended for to create a swanky personalized catalog that is then mailed to that person. From there, the person can select his or her favorite gift from the personalized, 16-item catalog. Your card is then charged and the person is mailed their chosen gift without any more trouble on your part. Not only does this result in your friend or loved-one getting a gift that they actually want, but we think something like this comes off as a very thoughtful and considerate way to give, without the disappointment incurred from a mere gift card.
After users sign up for Wantful (through Facebook or otherwise), they go through a simple process of steps telling Wantful who their giftee is, basic details about the person (age, where they live, male or female), what the occasion is, and how well they know them. From there, the service asks users to reply to questions like “Where would this person like to live?,” “What does this person do in their free time,” and “Which style suits this person” by clicking on photos and using sliders to add more detail. The process is easy and quite fast, and results in a curated selection of 16 gift items (everything from clothing to home decor to baked goods) that will be turned into the personalized catalog. If a user thinks one of the gifts isn’t quite the right fit, they can view ‘other options’ to choose something else. Users can select price ranges from $30 to $500 and everywhere in between.
It looks like everything comes in beautiful packaging to the recipient’s doorstep, making it all the more fun to open, even in catalog form. We’ve yet to see anything else that is almost as easy as a gift card yet has such a personal and thoughtful touch, not to mention swanky packaging that will surely make any gift seem like a luxurious treasure.
