Popular Gift Box Trends in 2023
Give the perfect gift every time! We're sharing everything you need to know about the top gifting trends in 2023. At Teak & Twine, we have a team of trend forecasters dedicated to staying on top of the most popular gift box trends for all kinds of occasions and celebrations.
Whether you’re doing research for your next gifting project, looking for new-hire gifts that your employees will *actually* like, or are trying to revamp your company’s corporate holiday gifts, check out the latest gifting trends to keep in mind this year!
Trend #1: Gifts with Sustainable Products
One of the top trends right now is sustainable gift boxes! This means making sure what you're gifting is from environmentally-conscious businesses that create sustainable products. Not only is sustainability on trend, but it’s REALLY important to the future of our planet! And it’s becoming more and more apparent that people expect the companies they work with to do their part in protecting the environment.
When it comes to gifting, make an effort to include products that are sustainably sourced and eco-friendly, and avoid products that could be harmful to the environment.
It’s not always easy to discover small businesses that are committed to sustainable practices, so we rounded up a few brands that make our most popular environmentally-conscious products:
Herbivore Botanicals Skincare
Based in Seattle, Washington, Herbivore Botanicals is a natural skincare brand that makes its products, ingredients, and packaging as safe and gentle on the planet as they are on your skin. All of their formulas are made from natural, high-quality ingredients that are ethically sourced and as biocompatible as possible.
Their Coconut Milk Bath Soak is one of our most popular self-care items! You can find Herbivore Botanicals products in our best-selling gift boxes like The Self Care and The Retreat.
Equator Coffees
Equator Coffees is a woman and LGBTQ+ founded coffee roaster that believes coffee can be a force for good (we are firm believers in that, too – especially in the early morning 😉). As California's first Fair Trade-certified coffee roaster in 1999, Equator has stood at the forefront of the sustainable coffee movement.
As you could probably guess, coffee is one of the most requested products for corporate gift boxes. It's sure to make your clients or employees perk right up!
PHOTO COURTESY OF EQUATOR COFFEES
Trend #2: Supporting Small Businesses
Another gift box trend on the rise for both corporations and consumers is supporting small businesses, particularly Black-owned, LGBTQ+ owned, and AAPI-owned businesses.
People want to see more inclusivity when it comes to the items they’re using and the businesses they’re supporting. Here's a round-up of some of the incredible small businesses whose products have become increasingly popular in our gift boxes!
Partake Cookies
BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS
Partake Foods was created in 2016 by Founder and CEO Denise Woodard, a Black & Asian American woman. Offering a selection of delicious, allergy-friendly snacks, Partake gives peace of mind to those with dietary restrictions... and evokes that "how is this SO good?" enjoyment to everyone else! Everything they make is certified gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, and free of the top 9 allergens (wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, fish, sesame, and shellfish).
Partake Cookies are a HUGE hit for large-scale corporate gifting when you’re unsure of everyone’s allergies and restrictions. Best of all, they’re DELICIOUS!
Zach & Zoë Raw Honey
BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS
Zach and Zoë Sweet Bee Farm is a Black-owned and operated apiary and raw honey purveyor based in New Jersey. What started out as a personal wellness project to alleviate their son's allergies has become a full-blown operation, dedicated to bringing natural, nutrient-packed honey to the masses. They sure are busy bees over there at Zach & Zoë! 🐝
This sweet treat has found its way into hundreds of our gift boxes, and is now one of our most requested products! Sometimes we even add in a honeycomb stirrer, just for good measure.
Find Zach and Zoe in our popular Housewarming Gift Box!
Beekman 1802
LGBTQ+ OWNED BUSINESS
What do you do when you inherit a herd of goats? 🐐
Well, when Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge moved to the historic Beekman farm in rural New York, that was the question they had to ask themselves.
The pair went on to create Beekman 1802, a beauty brand that has built all of it’s clean, clinically-proven formulas for sensitive skin around - you guessed it - goat milk!
In addition to their wildly successful skincare line (AND a TV show!), the couple also published The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook inspired by the delicious, seasonal vegetable recipes they enjoy on their farm. Find it in one of our best-selling gift boxes, The Spice of Life, featured in our Pride Collection!
Books, and especially cookbooks, are always a good idea. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving!
Diaspora Co. Spices
LGBTQ+ OWNED BUSINESS
At age 23, Sana Javeri Kadri founded Diaspora Co. with a big goal in mind: to grow a radically new, decidedly delicious, and truly equitable spice trade. In 2017, she launched the brand with just one spice, Pragati Turmeric. Fast forward to today, and Diaspora now sources 30 single-origin spices from 150 farms across India and Sri Lanka.
Committed to creating a more equitable food system, Sana and her team proudly pay their farm partners an average of 6x above the commodity price, providing a living wage and in some cases, healthcare to farm laborers.
We fell in love with their Guntur Sannam Chilli spice blend, and so have many of our clients. It's a great addition to any food-themed gift box! Learn more and shop all our gifts featuring Diaspora Co. !
Appointed Notebooks
AAPI-OWNED BUSINESS
If you’ve ever shopped our gift boxes, you’ve DEFINITELY seen notebooks from Appointed. They’re one of our most popular products, and for good reason — they’re stylishly simple, functional yet beautiful, and eco-friendly. This is exactly what Suann Song, founder & CEO of Appointed, was going for when she launched the company back in 2015.
Six years later, the Asian-American, female-founded brand now offers a suite of high-quality desktop and paper goods and has its very own flagship store in Washington, DC.
Our Corporate Catalog includes tons of office and work-from-home themed gift boxes, many including notebooks by Appointed. Even better: we can add your company logo for a branded touch! See our work to take a look at some past projects featuring branded Appointed notebook gift boxes!
Love this gift? Shop a similar version here!👇
Silver Needle Tea
AAPI-OWNED BUSINESS
One of our (and our clients’) favorite products? Perfectly packaged tea by Silver Needle Tea Co.! Based in NYC, this female-founded company was started by Lucy Yung in 2014.
After realizing that pure tea was impossible to find in the U.S., Yung was determined to fill the gap in the market. Now, Silver Needle offers a variety of single estate teas sourced directly from China, Taiwan and Japan.
Their distinct, elegant packaging was specifically designed “ready for gifting” — so it's only natural we would include them in our curated gift boxes! View our shop all page to discover the full collection.
Loose leaf tea is a great product to include in your next gift box. Pair it with Wildflower Honey by Zach & Zoë and you'll knock it out of the park!
To learn more about our vendors, you can discover small businesses in our gift boxes.
Trend #3: Self Care Gifts
Trends in health, wellness, and mindfulness have blown up in the gifting industry. Self-care, work/life balance, mental health, physical activity, taking care of your overall wellbeing — these have all become much more normalized in recent years, and are increasingly embraced in the workplace.
So get ready to hop on the wellness train, because we've got a feeling this trend is here to stay — and we are here for it! Check out these awesome brands that are making products that will make your clients and employees happy.
P.S. Also shop the The Wellness gift if you're looking for a gift to send out today!
Intelligent Change Mindful Gifts
Made famous by The Five Minute Journal, Intelligent Change is a global wellness lifestyle brand based out of London, England. Dedicated to helping others live a more mindful, fulfilling life, the brand creates elegant, functional products designed to encourage positive, life-changing habits.
One of our most popular gift boxes, The Mindful Moment, includes their Mindful Affirmations cards, which provide weekly doses of inspiration to increase self-care and mindfulness.
Que Water Bottles
One trend that will never go out of style: staying hydrated!
We all know hydration is key, and Que’s collection of collapsible, fashionable and reusable water bottles have catapulted into popularity for their convenience, sustainability and design.
Que bottles make a great gift because the recipient can keep it forever! Plus, we can even add your logo to ensure you to stay top of mind loooong after the gift is sent.
Palermo Body
Palermo Body is a collection of truly natural skincare products made by hand in small batches in Brooklyn, NY. Founder Jessica Morelli views self-care is an intrinsic human need, and she created Palermo Body to provide skincare that nourishes the skin, stimulates the mind, and comes directly from nature, making the process of caring for yourself something to look forward to each day.
With a variety of products for both men and women, Palermo Body is the perfect edition to your next gift box.
Top Gift Box Trends in 2022
So, let's recap: the current gift boxtrends we're seeing in 2022 are sustainable gifting, gifts with products from small businesses (particularly Black-owned businesses, AAPI businesses and LGBTQ+ businesses), and last but not least, self care gifts.
The major theme here? CARING is COOL! So take the time to consider these gifting trends for your next corporate gifting project for your clients, employees, or event. The more you focus on the things that matter to the recipient, the more memorable (and effective!) your gift will be.
A Little Bit About Teak & Twine
We're a team of gifting pros dedicated to thoughtfully designed gifts for all kinds of occasions and celebrations!
Our curated gift boxes are filled with high-quality products from tons of small businesses and are packaged to perfection! Looking for a gift to send right away? Shop from our ready-to-ship collection, or design your own gift.
Need custom corporate gift boxes for a conference, event, or marketing campaign? Searching for unique gifts for your clients, executives, or employees? You've come to the right place! From product sourcing to custom branded packaging to shipping and fulfillment, we do it ALL.
To get started on your next gifting project, click below to connect with a member of our team!