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Holiday gifting is easy to treat as optional. The research suggests employees see it differently, and the products people want this season have shifted toward items that are useful, well made, and personal. Here is what the data says and how to put it to work.
Why holiday gifts are worth giving
In Snappy’s 2025 Holiday Gifting Report, 67% of employees said they want to receive a holiday gift from their employer, yet 47% did not get one the year before. Among those surveyed, 67% said a meaningful gift increases their job satisfaction, 58% said it makes them feel more positive about their workplace, 43% said it makes them feel more connected to their team and company culture, and 29% said it makes them more likely to stay in their role longer.
The cost of skipping it shows up too. 23% said they feel less positive about their workplace when no gift arrives, and 22% said they feel less connected. Employees also prefer gifts to events: 67% said they would rather receive a gift than attend a company holiday party.
These are survey results about how employees say they feel, not measured retention or sales outcomes, and the survey comes from a gifting platform. Even so, the direction is consistent across the findings.
For client and partner gifts, the research is thinner. Consumer research presented at ASI Show Chicago this summer found that 73% of gift recipients feel more appreciated when they receive something from a well-known brand. That’s consumer research, not a study of business-to-business gifting, but it fits what we see: recipients notice quality and recognizable names.
What’s trending this holiday season
The common thread across this year’s trends is usefulness. A Deloitte holiday survey cited at ASI Show Chicago found that 65% of consumers prioritize usefulness when choosing gifts, and 59% want gifts that feel elevated in design. Gifts that become part of someone’s daily routine keep your name in front of them long after December.
Several categories stand out:
- Cozy items. Blankets, comfortable sweatshirts, coffee mugs, and coffee and tea sets fit the cozy, winter-comfort mood that has caught on in the U.S.
- Wellness products. The category reaches well beyond fitness, into products that help people feel good through work, leisure, and sleep. A McKinsey survey reported at the session found that more than 41% of annual wellness spending comes from millennials and Gen Z.
- Golf gifts. The National Golf Foundation reports a record 48.1 million Americans engaged with golf in 2025, and golf gifts work for both professional and personal relationships.
- Travel organizers. Packing cubes, tech organizers, and power banks suit a season when nearly one-third of Americans say they plan to travel.
- Recognizable brands. Names such as Stanley, Thule, and Skullcandy were cited as examples of brands that raise a gift’s perceived value.
Budget matters too. Items under $10, such as a simple tumbler or a small Bluetooth speaker, still have a place in year-end campaigns, especially for larger groups.
How to get it right
- Let people choose. 75% of employees want a say in their gift, so a short curated list often beats one item for everyone.
- Add a personal note. 82% expect a thoughtful, personalized note with their gift.
- Avoid a miss. 42% said a bad gift makes them feel less appreciated than getting nothing.
- Time it for December. 84% prefer to receive their gift in December, especially mid to late month. Starting your planning now leaves room for personalization and production.
Plan your holiday gifts
Whether you are choosing gifts for a team of ten or a client list of a few hundred, we can put together a curated set of options built around the people receiving them. [Contact Sauerbach Branded Solutions] to get started.