FESTIVE GIFTING SOLUTIONS | MARCIN MAJDA With the festive season now in sight, consumers will no doubt be turning their thoughts towards one thing in particular – Christmas gifts. Mintel research found that most consumers start buying gifts for Christmas in November with Statista reinforcing this, reporting that 51% of respondents plan to begin their Christmas shopping before December. This means it’s now a crucial time for print businesses to ensure they are ready to capitalise on this peak seasonal demand and offer a seamless and efficient experience for their customers. Personalised Photo Gifts Remain a Popular Choice Demand for personalised gifts is set to contribute significantly to this peak seasonal demand, with the UK personalised gifts market expected to grow at a CAGR of 11% from 2025 to 2029, fuelled by the emotional and thoughtful nature of these products. According to this research from Technavio, sales of personalised gifts currently account for around 20% of the total gift market share and the rise of popularity in these products has been attributed in part to improved order processing and user experience with the average order processing time decreasing by 25%. Additionally, the evolution of print personalisation technology and CRM integration has accelerated this growth further. When it comes to gifting, photo products remain a particularly popular choice as they foster a sense of connection and a sentimental feel. In fact, Fortune Business Insights predicts the European photo printing and merchandise market to grow at a CAGR of 6.92%, reaching $4.92bn by 2032. Be it personalised photo puzzles, mugs, photo books, calendars, cushion covers, T-shirts, hoodies, or hats, there are ample opportunities for print businesses to capitalise on this demand. When you add personalisation to any gift, there is also the opportunity to boost revenue, with research by Roland DG finding that the average UK giftware shopper is prepared to spend 7% more for gifts that feature an element of personalisation. With the festive season now upon us, Marcin Majda, cofounder and chief executive officer of Antigro Designer, discusses the importance of creating easy to use sales channels for customisable gifts and momentos Why You Should Assess Your Print Personalisation UX, Ahead of the Festive Season The Importance of Mobile Optimisation When preparing for this peak seasonal demand, it’s important to note that the way consumers are purchasing their festive gifts is changing. Shoppers are increasingly moving online to complete their Christmas shopping and key promotional dates like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are only accelerating this. For ‘thumb-first’ shoppers, purchasing and browsing on a mobile phone can be convenient and faster than browsing on a desktop. Something to consider here is that cart abandonment rates for mobile shopping tend to be higher than when using desktops. In 2022, researchers in the US actually found that cart abandonment rates were around 84% for mobile phones. This is where well-designed UX is paramount, and a product customisation tool needs to be fully adapted for both mobile and desktop. When you offer a mobile-optimised experience, you enable customers to design and order personalised gifts from anywhere and at any time. For example, features such as wide tabs, readable icons and easy navigation all provide a simple Fortune Business Insights predicts the European photo printing and merchandise market to grow at a CAGR of 6.92% 6.92% 35 www.printmonthly.co.uk Issue 357 - November | December 2025
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