My sister will be on her own on Christmas Day, so I thought I'd send her a little hamper with a few nice bits of food/booze. Holy crap, there's some markup on hampers. Take this for example:
A quick bit of googling shows that is a ten quid bottle of prosecco, and a ten quid bottle of chocs (and that's retail, not what they get them for). Add in what, a fivers worth of P&P and that's a £30 gross margin on a £55 hamper. Nice.
"This hamper is presented as a gift box" but it's definitely a hamper, not a gift box at all.
The prices are a bit daft but I’m pretty sure there’s a few more running costs then that.
Yup,it has failed the Hamper description test.
Are there no Cafes or Delis local to where she lives that you could order something from?
You'd be surprised how many other products out there operate on a similar margin (or better).
The prices are a bit daft but I’m pretty sure there’s a few more running costs then that.
Yeah, I realise that, that's why I said gross margin.
You’d be surprised how many other products out there operate on a similar margin (or better).
Yep. But the prices I'm quoting for the constituent parts are the retail prices, so there's already margin in there. This is margin on margin!
not forgetting the definition of the word hamper is
"hinder or impede the movement or progress of"
which is curiously appropriate to something with such vast markup
Local fruit and veg shop does awesome fruit boxes, veg boxes, and lots of wee deli stuff you can add in, all to cost, no mark up, I suggest you have a look locally. They do free delivery anywhere in the county too.
IHN - I was similarly shocked a few years back when I planned something similar for Mum. I ended up making my own hamper using a wicker hamper from a charity shop, stuffing a load of paper shredding from the office shredder which were various pretty colours and then buying what went into it. I spent £50 delivered by courier and it had her favourite wine, spirits, chocolate and cheese. None of the stuff she didn't like either.
Yeah, I'll go down the 'fill a box with some stuff' option I think.
Mum said she dreaded opening another bloody hamper - I hadn't realised that two sets of of mums friends who lived abroad sent here a hamper every birthday and Christmas. She has a special cupboard filled with unwanted marmalade, chutneys and Scottish shortbread - all regular items she doesn't like.
She used to be able to donate them to the school fete each year but they had been building up since I left school - I am over 50.
I just got a Fortnum & Mason hamper from my boss at work as a thank you. I must admit to being quite ignorant of such things but my wife was well chuffed. I think it was the actual wicker basket thing she wanted most. I was gutted as i had earmarked it for my camper van.
I sat and munched the Royal seal of approval Shortbread the other night and it was rather tasty
I’ve done the DIY hamper gift box a few times and it’s easier than you think. Highly recommend giving it go.
Pop to stationary shop buy a fancy glittery box to put the stuff in. Buy some fancy tissue paper as padding.
Buy a few bits and bobs from a couple different shops on the high street.
Stick it all in the box and arrange artistically. Wrap and post it off. Job done.
You end up paying a bit for the postage as it gets quite heavy but it still comes in much less than buying a ready made hamper and it’s totally personalised to the recipient.
Wife bought my mum a Marks and Spencer’s Tea Hamper for her birthday. Was £30 delivered. It had a small rose plant, tea bags and a box of Shortbread. It came in a cardboard box.
She actually bought two as she accidentally delivered the first one to our address....
Anyway, my man maths worked out that it must have been less than £5 with of products.
Minimum spend at Iceland for free home delivery is £35.
Would you rather have 8 cans of Stella, 4 Rustlers burgers, a bag of oven chips, a big box of Quality Street, a frozen spotted dick and a tub of custard beautifully presented in a bag for life; or some overly sweet marmalade and a box of dry shortbread in a piece of wicker conservatory furniture?
I need to go into the hamper business
What are you going to do for the other 11 months of the year?
What are you going to do for the other 11 months of the year?
Sell the self-same groceries at their standard retail price.
