When it comes to birthdays, anniversaries and other gift-giving occasions, finding the perfect present can be daunting. A recent survey commissioned by Groupon, a daily deal website, found that 60 percent of respondents consider “finding the right gift” a top shopping challenge. “Shopping for presents doesn’t have to be a burden,” advises Emma McKee, a Grouponcierge, one of Groupon’s gift-giving experts. “There are many ways to ease the pain of finding the right gifts, no matter who you’re shopping for.”
According to McKee, new tools and old tricks can help you solve this age-old conundrum.
• Go local: Not all presents come wrapped. Help people you love discover the towns they love. Concert tickets, cooking classes, helicopter rides -- the gift of experience is one they'll never forget and certainly beats another tie or scarf.
• Travel made easy: Score brownie points by arranging a weekend getaway for someone. Doing so doesn’t need to require extensive planning on your part. By subscribing to a daily deal website, like Groupon, you’ll get completely planned travel deals sent to your inbox. Impress a tough crowd like your in-laws with minimal effort!
• Gifts that keep on giving: Don’t let your present go softly into that good night. Daily deal websites like Groupon run frequent deals on gifts that just won’t quit, such as magazine subscriptions and memberships to wine of the month clubs. Your recipient will remember your generosity all year long!
• Avoid the stores: Brick and mortar stores can mean lines and headache. Rather than muscle your way through multiple stores in pursuit of the perfect present, try a one-stop-shop that you can visit from home. A daily deal website can help you save on the newest toys, gifts for the home and gadgets. Purchases from mobile devices are more popular than ever as people buy on the go.
• Charitable gifts: Some people truly have it all. Instead of giving such friends and family one more thing they don’t need, support a cause in their honor. Choose an organization that’s meaningful to you or them -- many have special contribution options for gifts.
• Get help: Tired of brainstorming? Don’t be afraid to get help. New resources can help you find an appropriate present for those tricky recipients, such as your “sort of” boyfriend or girlfriend, your boss or your 10-year old nephew. Send a tweet to @groupon for real time gift suggestions. Just send a note with the #groupongifts hashtag and say who you’re shopping for, where they live and what their interests are and you’ll get a message back with a suggestion. With the right strategies, shopping for anyone can be a stress-free experience.