TT5 #1: Ready for Departure
Ready for Departure: Setting the scene for a successful festive season 🎄
From key dates and design tips to customer insights and campaign ideas, this is your pre-flight checklist for gifting success.
The Journey Begins
This is the most exciting time of the year and for good reason. Around 60% of Toggle’s annual revenue happens during this golden gifting window. Every gift card sold is more than just a transaction; it’s a promise of a future visit, a potential new customer, and often, a shared experience.
“When you give the gift of hospitality,” Dan explained, “you’re giving time together and that’s what makes it so powerful.”
Strategy Before Snowfall
Launching a shop isn’t enough. Success comes from embedding gifting into your whole business strategy.
From team awareness to marketing alignment, Dan urged operators to think beyond setup and consider how gifting fits into their brand story.
Your Festive Flight Plan ✈️
With Black Friday weekend (29th November–1st December) fast approaching, Dan highlighted the importance of getting ahead of the rush.
Key dates to mark in your calendar:
📅 Black Friday – 29th November
💻 Cyber Monday – 1st December
📬 Royal Mail last posting dates
The Rise of the Greetings Gift Card
One of this year’s big Toggle innovations is the greetings gift card — a beautiful, tactile keepsake designed to stay visible on mantelpieces and desks throughout the season.
“It keeps your brand in your customer’s home over Christmas,” said Dan. “That’s priceless exposure.”
Make It Simple, Make It Shine ✨
Dan’s golden rule: Keep it simple, stupid.
Here’s your festive shop checklist:
- ✅ Add Apple Pay and Google Pay
- 🛒 Create carousels with great imagery
- 📱 Optimise for mobile (75% of sales happen there)
- 💡 Include experiences for two, they sell up to 5x better than singles
And above all, test everything. Make a purchase yourself, check how it looks on mobile, and fine-tune the details, from your Favicon to your gift email redirects.
Know Your Gifting Audience
A few insights from Dan’s data deep-dive:
- 60% of gift card purchasers are female
- The biggest buying group is 26–35-year-olds
- Desktop users spend more (£71 average vs. £62 on mobile)
That means timing matters too. Send emails early on Black Friday morning or mid-afternoon when people are sat at their desks.
Competitions: The Gift That Gives Back
Run a festive competition like “Win an afternoon tea for two!” to grow your CRM list, engage followers, and drive traffic to your shop. Bonus tip: give entrants early access to your Black Friday offers, it builds excitement and loyalty in one go.
Make Gifting Visible Everywhere
Gift cards shouldn’t be hidden away. From table flyers and QR codes to social banners and link trees, make sure customers see them wherever they look.
“Gift cards should be everywhere, everywhere, everywhere,” Dan said.
Eight Weeks to Take Off
With just eight weeks to go until Christmas, now’s the moment to launch, optimise, and go all in. Whether it’s setting up greetings cards, polishing your shop, or joining one of our weekly drop-in sessions, we’re here to help you get airborne.
“Don’t panic if you’re not live yet,” Dan reassured. “We can get you up and running before Christmas and make this your most lucrative season yet.”
Next stop: Toggle Time 5 #2: Season’s Greetings — diving into Black Friday, physical gifting, and festive promotions that sell.
(Monday 3rd November)
