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"But isn't a gift of choice a bit impersonal?" We often get this question, while the opposite is true - in this article we tell you why more and more companies are letting their employees choose.
There is an understandable feeling among many HR managers and office managers when it comes to choice gifts. It feels like the easy way out. As if you are saying: "we couldn't choose, so figure it out yourself." And that is not the image you want to project. You want it to feel like a gesture, not like a hand-off.
But that feeling does not match what happens in practice. And the numbers show it.
The problem with "the same for everyone"
Imagine this: you buy the same Christmas gift box 200 times. A box full of cheese, wine, some nuts, and a candle. Well-intentioned, carefully selected. But out of those 200 people, some do not drink alcohol. Some are lactose intolerant. Some already have six candles at home. And some simply feel it doesn't suit them.
The result: a significant portion of those gifts ends up unused in a cupboard, is given away to the neighbors, or appears on Marktplaats. We see this happen every year: from karaoke sets to e-readers. That is not because people are ungrateful. It is because a gift that does not suit the recipient is no longer a gift. It is a logistical task with a bow around it.
Choosing IS personal
Turn the reasoning around. What is more personal: receiving something someone else picked out for you based on an educated guess, or choosing what you actually want yourself?
The idea that a choice gift is impersonal only holds true if you believe the giver determines what is personal. But the recipient determines that. An employee who chooses a yoga mat for themselves because she has just started yoga feels more seen than if she received a set of wine glasses for the third time. Not because those wine glasses are bad, but because they do not suit her.
The personal touch is not in what you give. It lies in the freedom to choose what suits you. And this freedom of choice works especially well when you have to arrange gifts for a larger group of people.
What the numbers say
With choice gifts via Cadeo, 95% are actually redeemed. That means 95 out of 100 recipients actually choose and receive something. With traditional gift packages, the waste is significantly higher—just think of all the products that go unused, get passed on, or end up on Marktplaats.
Translate that into money. If you order 200 packages and a large part of the contents remains unused, that is budget you have spent on appreciation that no one feels. With a choice gift via Cadeo, you only pay for what is actually redeemed. Every euro goes toward something that someone chose themselves and actually wants to have.
The objection that is correct (and how to solve it)
There is a valid objection to choice gifts, and we are not going to brush it aside: a choice gift lacks the element of surprise of opening a physical box. That ritual—the box on your desk, peeling off the paper, seeing what's inside—is fun. It gives a sense of Christmas, of celebration, of attention.
If you find that physical element indispensable, combine them. Send a personal card—physical or digital—with a message that matters. Make the moment of receiving the choice link just as special as the moment of opening a box. A well-written or spoken (video) message from your manager feels no less significant than a box of stuff that someone else picked out for you. It feels different. And for most people, it feels better.
How it works
The concept is simple. You choose a budget per person (from €15). You personalize the choice portal with your company name and a personal message. You send the link to your employees, clients, or partners. They choose from 1,200+ products—from sustainable design products and local brands to outings, experiences, or gift cards. The gift is delivered to their home. No collecting delivery addresses, no boxes at the office, no stress about dietary requirements or allergies.
No minimum order. No long-term contract. Setup in 2-5 business days, and within 24 hours if necessary.
So: is it impersonal?
No. It is the opposite. You give someone the freedom to choose something that truly suits them. And you guarantee that your budget ends up where it belongs: with a gift that makes someone happy. Not with a gift that ends up on Marktplaats.
Schedule an introduction and we will show you what it looks like.
Want to do gifting right as well?
Contact us now to see how we can help you with a tailored solution.
