Wrap Sheet

As a mom to two toddlers, one of my unique talents is remembering exactly who got each of them what toy/book/clothing item and for which birthday or holiday. It probably helps that I am a meticulously old-school thank-you note writer, sealing the gift in my memory with my ballpoint pen. My 3-year-old daughter is known to ask, “Mommy, who got me this?” And I love the opportunity to talk about a friend or family member  we might not see often. (We also receive a lot of hand-me-downs, and she loves to know who has previously worn her clothes, as well.)

While I love receiving gifts for my children and teaching them to appreciate them, I hate coming up with gift ideas. Sure enough, after each of their birthdays (September and November), I get the questions before Christmastime: What do they want? Is there anything they need?

Sorry to spoil it for anyone without young children, but they don’t need anything. Most kids I know, mine included, have a ton of toys and clothes, and only the most diligent parents are handy in rotating them and cleverly storing the rest. As for what they want, I’m happy to share their favorite characters (Elsa and JJ, respectively), but they’re too little to really pick something from a catalog.

The most treasured gift for me as a parent is when someone thoughtfully selects something that they think the kids will love, and they’re usually right. As a retailer, gifting provides such a unique opportunity to give consumers ideas (so they don’t have to ask parents) and create something special. In the age of Amazon everything, there is nothing more precious than something picked out in person, beautifully wrapped, and thoughtfully delivered.

I was inspired to write “Chance of Showers” (page 14) after seeing my neighbor’s toddler play with a miniature Radio Flyer wagon. When I asked where she got it, she said it was the vessel for a gift she received at her baby shower. Two years later, long after her daughter’s plush stuffies and aesthetic teethers have been put away, she still uses the wagon and talks about the retailer, Just Hatched in Guilford, CT.

Gifting is such a powerful way to connect with consumers, and experts agree that good customer service and smart education is the best way to retain them into the baby phase and beyond. Whether it’s trends for a new season or the skyrocketing tween skincare craze (page 12), this issue is jam-packed for new ways to educate, entice, and inspire consumers — a gift that keeps on giving.