When do you offer fruit baskets? The best time is during seasonal holidays such Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving and events such as Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentines. But if you work a little harder and connect yourself with, say, a local hospital, you could generate extra income year round. This short tutorial gives you some ideas of baskets to prepare, supplies you will need and how to prepare them. For pricing - take the total value of your basket, add your labour and profit margin and then price it accordingly.
Why offer fruit gift baskets?
1/ You can upsell pre-made gift baskets for a healthy premium - some even say you can double your margin.
2/ It showcases the full range of offerings you have from fresh produce to condiments and everything in between
3/ It is a year round activity
4/ It peaks at holiday periods: Christmas, Valentines, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, Easter
5/ Offer up themed baskets for other times of the year: St. Patricks Day, Cinco De Mayo, Canada Day, Labour Day.
5/ It offers one stop shopping for your customer
What do you need?
1/ Containers to hold the product - think about wicker or bamboo baskets, signature or brightly coloured boxes or bags. Meinheardts in Vancouver has a beautiful box that come stuffed with goodies. Note: you can sell empty baskets/containers as well.
2/ Some type of shrink wrap, tissue paper or cello covering along with ribbons, bows and raffia.
3/ Double sided tape comes in handy to anchor materials. And scissors.
4/ Shrink wrap film will come in handy to keep the whole package together (buy the more expensive stuff that is thicker and won't rip or tear as easily as cheaper materials do). And a hand held bag bag sealer plus a hot air gun.
5/ You can buy ready made bags that can be shrinkwrapped or create your own bag at store level using your heat sealer.
How to do it?
1/ Start with a foundation of shredded stuff -skip the plastic foam peanuts as those aren't healthy for the planet and they cheapen the feel of the basket.
2/ Build a dramatic display of what is being offered. If the customer sees what they are getting they are more likely to purchase it. Make it fully visible. Add a product list of what is included in the arrangement.
3/ This is where the double-side tape come in handy: this allows you to defy gravity as you tape different products higher or lower in the basket. If you are making a lot of baskets considering using a turn still or a lazy susie so you can build and revole the basket at the same time.
4/ Once everything is pulled together insert the basket/bag/box into a bag made from shrink wrap film. Now your creative designer (that might be use) can heat seal it from the bottom or and keep it all tight OR pull up the loose film, bunch it up and heat seal at top but leave the top flared. Add a few decor items and your ready to offer it.
It does take extra work but if you find the right person who has a flare for building great baskets you will see how much value it adds to your produce department.
How to promote it:
1/ Put up signage near the cashier or in the produce department - Ask me about our gift baskets!
2/ Show a mock up of different baskets so that people start to remember that you offer gift baskets.
3/ Offer fliers at store level that do double duty as an order form. Shoppers can check off what they need and then leave it with the produce department staff.
4/ Put a coupon in your regular advertising to build awareness of your program.
5/ Offer an in-house session on how to build your own gift basket for your shoppers. Get them involved in the process.
6/ Stage a basket making table and create baskets for customers as they wait.
7/ Set up outreach programs: Who is your nieghbourhood would buy gift baskets - the local car dealer? the real estate agent? hospitable gift shops?
Words of Wisdom:
1/ A strongly wrapped basket will prevent anyone from removing items (not that anyone that shops at your store would have "sticky" fingers)
2/ Breakage will be reduced - especially if you are moving the baskets around quite a bit or if you are arranging for delivery for the customers if you have it sealed correctly.
3/ Keep an eye on any perisahables in the basket. Certain items just don't travel well once they are shrink wrapped i.e. bananas will continue to ripen, grapes and berries react to humidity and heat, stonefruit may not travel as well and may arrive bruised, acrylic/plastic baskets allows a moisture build-up which can cause problems.
4/ Have fun and use your imagination as to what you offer in a fruit gift basket.
4/ If you are initiating a program give it discipline, commitment, attention to detail and patience. It will take a bit of time to grow the program so don't give up in the first week.
Other tips:
Visit the competition and see how they are doing it (during the holiday season Costco Canada offers a full line up of gift baskets ranging from the mid 20s to $150 or so).
Basket Ideas to Get You Started:
Tropical Fruit Basket: Anchored by a pineapple and coconut and then add it a few exotics plus some stand by favourites like bananas.
Chocoholic Basket: Chocolate dip and an array of great fruits perfect for dipping
Senior citizen basket: Easy to eat fruits.
BBQ Time: Sauces, BBQ tools, potatoes and corrn.
Newborn babies (and mom)!: Bibs, canned baby food (and a brochure on how a mom can make her own baby food using fresh fruits and vegetables), cloth wipes, nursery blanket, easy to eat fruit like zipper peel citrus or bananas or fresh apples.
Included cheeses and bottle of non-alcholic beverages.
