and sales, says the predesigned options help, "to give them an idea of what they'd want to put in their own basket."
From Concept to Contents No matter how varied the strategies, one thing's for certain: the food comes first. Still, it's not as simple as gathering a handful of specialty goods, wrapping them up and slap- ping on a decorative bow. "To me it's an artistic process," Porat
says. "Partly what makes a gift basket good is that the sum of the parts add up to more than the parts." Themes can be a bountiful source of inspiration and a handy springboard. "Theme plays a huge role," says
Gluten-Free Treats from Chelsea Market Baskets in a reusable and easy-to-ship lidded basket.
Tammy Shapiro, founder of Talk of the Town Gourmet Gifts and More and co- founder of CelebrateXpo, an annual gift and event-planning industry event. "Like any market—gift market, clothing mar- ket—there are trends." In recent years, she notes, the popularity of coffee themes has given way to tea, martini to wine. Concepts
too narrow in scope can flop: Porat recalls a peanut butter and chocolate theme that sold poorly, despite the evergreen popular- ity of that flavor combination. But look- ing to a hot trend—say, bacon—can mean strong sales, like Chelsea Market Baskets' Bacon Cookbook Gift, which features pork- forward goodies from Vosges, Skillet Street Food and others. Experts stress having a careful balance
between higher-end items and inexpensive "filler" items to complete the assortment. Porat recommends up to three expensive components, balanced out by less expen- sive—but still high-quality—goods. For retailers, he advises resisting the urge to throw in poorly selling products, "because you're sort of weakening the whole thing." Shapiro goes for five to seven signa- ture items; for filler, "We keep a variety of
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PHOTO: CHELSEA MARKET BASKETS