In our latest benchmark study of 32 newsXpress member shops, 14 reported meaningful gift department data for January to May 2026. The spread in performance was wide, and instructive.
The lowest average gift unit price in the network was $9.77. The highest was $28.72. Nine of the 14 shops grew gift revenue year on year, and the strongest grew it by 149%.
The shops at the bottom of that range are mostly selling novelty and impulse items. Cheap, cheerful, easily found at a discount department store. The shops at the top have built something different: a curated, considered gifting destination with brands like Koh Living, Splosh and Affirmations, plus quality local suppliers. Product a customer cannot price-check on their phone in three seconds.
Our consistent finding across the network is that shops with gift average unit prices above $20 outperform shops below $12. A gift department that feels different from Big W or the supermarket wins. One that feels like a smaller version of them loses.
The good news for any retailer reading this: building a real gift destination does not require a big floor. It requires discipline. The advice we gave members from this study:
- Choose quality over quantity. A tight range of 30 good lines beats 100 average ones.
- Refresh regularly. Gift customers return looking for what is new. Give them a reason.
- Price with confidence. Considered gifts carry margin because the customer is buying meaning, not commodity.
This analysis, and the shop-specific advice that follows it, is part of what newsXpress provides members for free. We also connect members with preferred gift suppliers, share what is selling across the network before trends peak, and run seasonal marketing that drives gift purchases in-store and online.
Independent retailers often tell us they know gifts matter but do not know where to start. That is exactly the gap a good marketing group fills. The data from your peers shows what works. We bring that data, the supplier access and the playbook. You bring the shop.
Our goal is to help local retailers thrive and we do this by figuring out, based on their location, data and financial situation, steps they can take that are more likely to work. Our approach is evidence based, Coll;aborative and proven year on year.
