Holiday Shopping: The Gift Market
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
Joy to the world, the time has come for holiday shopping! From Black Friday to Prime Day and trips to the festive local mall, shoppers from all over the world participate in Holiday gift giving. Whether it be Hanukkah presents, Kwanzaa gifts, Christmas stocking stuffers, or New Year's celebratory memorabilia, the market for holiday gift shopping has long reigned as a huge corporate jackpot. But how did this huge bank drain become so popular? The answer lies in the hands of corporations.
The holiday season is taken by storm from various corporations. For example, Hallmark and their festive movies and memorabilia. Local malls are decked out in lights, trees, and shiny tinsel flashing the feeling of the holiday season. These businesses all use the warm and fuzzy feelings from the holidays: community, family, and time off work, as an opportunity to sway the minds of customers through pathos.
Instead of quality time and appreciation, gift giving is now hailed as the true depiction of how much someone cares for others. Essentially, corporations have pushed the narrative that, “if you really care about that individual, put your wallet where your mouth is!”. So givers keep buying, receivers keep stacking their gifts, and companies keep filling their wallets with the proceeds of each sale.
For many well established businesses, it is important to treat their clients with gifts. Whether it be wine, expensive cheeses, gift cards, desserts, or other luxuries, the holidays are a season of showing appreciation. Parents play the role of Santa Claus and purchase new toys and technology for their littles. Spouses make purchases for one another to dazzle themselves in jewelry and plan beautiful vacations. The larger one’s network, the more expensive the season, at least according to popular culture.
The holiday gift market has become a trillion dollar operation for sales, and it exists entirely because marketing has turned caring about others into purchasing them gifts.
