ROCKVILLE, Md. – Packaged Facts’ report “Food Gifting in US, 5th Edition” shows American gift givers choosing to give food are increasing across occasions and food types. While certain holidays such as Christmas and Easter lend themselves to giving food as gifts, the report shows a trend toward food gifting is on the rise for other occasions, as well. Consumers give food for graduations, birthdays, and in some cases, just because, and Packaged Facts’ data shows the average spend is up.
According to Packaged Facts, US consumer and corporate food gifting sales will approach a 3.5 percent increase from 2015 to $18 billion. Consumer sales represent the majority of that number which Packaged Facts expects to rise 2.5 percent in 2016 with corporate sales expected to rise 4 percent.
Corporate food gifting has seen considerable momentum due to positive employment and corporate giving trends and companies creating gifts designed to appeal to business people are seeing corporate food sales benefit. For example, an entire line of gift baskets designed for Administrative Professionals Day by gourmetgiftbaskets.com is offered to show appreciation for office employees.
Boxed chocolates and candies are the most prevalent chosen food gift that people purchase for others by a wide margin. Twenty-eight percent of food gifters purchased boxed chocolate or candies for someone in the last 12 months. Other mainstays in the food gifting arena are sweet baked gift foods, coffee/tea/hot chocolate gifts and nut/salty snack gift foods.
According to the report, the winter holidays see the largest share of food gifting among adults 18 years and older. Close to half of all those that purchased food gifts for others did so during the winter holidays. And 32 percent of those who purchased food gifts for themselves did so during winter holidays. Birthdays and Valentine’s Day also rank high for food gifting, according to the Packaged Facts report.
