We analyzed reviews and merchant feedback from 150 high-volume Shopify Plus brands.

The results are clear.

Gifting is no longer a seasonal afterthought. It is a standalone acquisition engine.

Global leaders like The Oodie, Gisou, Bed Threads, and AeroPress do not view gifting as a logistical headache. They treat it as a growth lever.

To do that, they are rethinking the infrastructure behind gifting.

They are eliminating warehouse labor and capturing net-new recipient data.

That is where platforms like Giftnote come in. Giftnote is not a checkout feature, but an operational engine.

Here is what merchant reviews reveal about the reality of scaling gift orders.

1. MOST BRANDS ARE NOT SET UP FOR GIFTING

Demand exists. Infrastructure fails.

Warehouses cannot scale handwritten notes. Printed inserts are expensive. They slow down fulfillment operations. 3PL providers frequently drop the ball on custom messages.

Brands feel stuck with their 3PL's lack of gifting features. They deprioritize the experience to save on manual labor.

Automate the message. Eliminate the packing friction.

• Riff Raff Baby: "A gamechanger for our store, saving our warehouse team countless hours handwriting gift notes."

• ‍Chunky Thread: "We battled with 3PLs who were fast at logistics but couldn't provide a good looking physical gift message. Giftnote helped us find a great middle-ground without switching fulfillment partners."‍
• Three Gems Tea: "Our 3PL partner can't send out physical gift notes, and we're so glad we found Giftnote. The interface is easy to use and it does what it's supposed to."

2. GIFTING IS NOT JUST UX. IT IS A REVENUE CHANNEL.

The best brands treat gifting as a new revenue stream.

They view it as a higher AOV motion and a reliable repeat purchase driver. Gift orders consistently outperform standard orders. Customers willingly pay for a seamless premium experience.

Stop treating gifts as an operational cost. Turn one gift into two customers.

• Sew Heart Felt: "Already had thousands of customers choose to use it despite us charging to do so. Extra revenue and the chance to re-market to those receiving the gift."‍
• The Oodie: "Giftnote has been a game-changer for our gift orders. Integration is smooth, and managing the app itself requires minimal time from our team."

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3. THE BIGGEST MISSED OPPORTUNITY IS THE RECIPIENT

Recipients did not choose your brand. They did not visit your site. They did not opt into your marketing.

But they carry incredibly high intent.

The data proves it. Up to 78% of recipients are net-new customers. Between 7% and 15% go on to make a direct purchase within 120 days.

This is an acquisition channel most brands ignore. Capture recipient emails. Route them to Klaviyo flows. Turn gifting into a predictable acquisition pipeline.

• The Meatery: "Within days our store already had gifts being given, and are now harvesting new emails of the gift recipients. This is an absolute no-brainer."‍
• Drip EZ: "Great feature to offer customers. Many opportunities to generate additional customer audiences through gift flow messages."

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4. BRANDS WANT DATA, NOT GUESSWORK

"We had no idea how much revenue was coming from gifting."

This was a recurring theme across our merchant interviews. You cannot justify investment without visibility. You cannot optimize what you do not track.

Top brands eliminate the guesswork by tracking core metrics. They monitor the percentage of gift orders. They track direct upsell revenue. They measure recipient conversion rates.

Measure the funnel. Prove your ROI.

• Bed Threads: "Being able to tap into how much of our revenue is coming from our product being gifted is of huge value to the business. Already thrilled with immediate customer adoption across global stores."

5. THE BAR FOR GIFTING HAS CHANGED

Customer expectations are higher than ever.

Shoppers expect deep personalization. Timing is critical. Messages must be delivered exactly when the physical gift arrives at the door.

Brands that nail this execution stand out. They get remembered. They win repeat business. Bridge the gap between simple gift messages and complex logistics.

• Gisou: "Revolutionized the way our customers can send their purchases as gifts. Its smooth integration with various carriers enables the gift messages to be sent upon delivery, a feature our customers adore."
• Aviator Nation: "Seeked a digital solution to allow customers to more seamlessly deliver gift cards in a personalized way and Giftnote was the solution."

6. CLEAN CODE WINS ENTERPRISE TRUST

High-volume stores cannot risk checkout friction.

Enterprise merchants demand lightweight code. They require bi-directional sync with their existing stack. Giftnote enhances native functionality without bogging down site speed.

• BigStuffed: "No extra dirty code that slows down the website. The app enhances what Shopify is able to do natively. It's definitely a top app."
• Anyday: "Quick gifting solution last BFCM. Super quick to install. We were able to integrate it with Klaviyo so the gift messages were still on brand."
• Cosmetic Boutique Australia: "Process for implementation was smooth. CX is backed up by Klaviyo flows, so even better!"

START ACQUIRING THROUGH GIFTING

Automated gift messaging for Shopify Plus. Install in minutes. Lift AOV. Acquire recipients.