How can we introduce a wrapping service to our stores, and should we charge customers to use it?

Selfridges’ opening of its Christmas store in early August this year proves that planning for peak trading needs to begin now.

Annika Bosanquet is managing director at luxury wrapping and packaging expert Wrapology, and works with major retailers and beauty brands to offer products and wrapping services.

She says the first thing retailers need to have in place is a communication plan. If you are going to run your wrapping service all through November and December, you should begin communicating your plans to customers in early September. If you don’t want to cause queues at your tills then the wrapping counter should be separate, no matter whether you choose to charge for the service or not.

Bosanquet advises that it is

perfectly acceptable for retailers to charge, as having a present wrapped saves the customer money. “A piece of wrapping paper and other materials might come to £3.50, and add in how long it takes the customer to do it themselves and they have a good deal,” she says.

Retailers should even consider allowing customers to have gifts bought outside the store wrapped if they are charging, as it encourages them to linger in your store and they will leave with all their presents in your branded carrier bags, she says. However, if you are going to charge, the quality of the wrapping must be better than the customer can do themselves.

You must also think about your staff. They need to not only be able to wrap in your signature style but also have good customer skills.