Research December 03, 2025
Custom Ink Survey Finds ‘Gift Gap’ Between Corporate Gifting & Employee Preferences
Custom Ink’s report notes that employees most value personalized and brand-name gifting – but over 40% are concerned they won’t receive a gift from their companies this year.
Key Takeaways
• According to Custom Ink’s (asi/173232) most recent holiday gifting survey, employers often give practical office items or generic swag, but employees typically prefer tech accessories, food gifts and branded apparel – revealing a major “gift gap” in corporate holiday gifting.
• Personalization and name-brand products significantly boost the perceived value of corporate gifts, with a majority of employees saying a desired gift would improve company loyalty and retention.
There’s a “gift gap” in the corporate-swag world, according to Counselor Top 40 distributor Custom Ink (asi/173232).
The e-commerce giant’s recent holiday gifting survey reports notable differences between what employers are giving at the end of the year and what employees actually want to receive. (Spoiler alert: Presenting a dead plant or a stale bag of gummy bears – both real survey answers for the worst gift received – isn’t going to cut it.)
Employees are most likely to want promo items such as tech accessories, food gifts and apparel, especially outerwear, which are all among the most popular gift categories for 2025, according to the survey. In contrast, stationery, office products and plants are among the least desired items – but they’re still frequent holiday gift purchases.
“There’s a real disconnect happening in workplace gifting,” said David Doctorow, CEO of Custom Ink. “Employers often gravitate toward practical office items or generic branded swag, but our survey shows employees actually want something they can enjoy both in and out of the office.”
Personalization options – a growing trend across the promo industry – can be key to delivering that versatility with a holiday gifting campaign, the survey finds. More than half of respondents would prefer to be able to select from several gift options, and more than 80% report placing higher value on a gift that is personalized to some degree.
That value is especially apparent when the gift is from a name brand, with more than three-quarters of respondents noting they’d appreciate a gift from top names like Nike, North Face, Yeti or Carhartt more than a generic item.
Despite the added costs of some of those higher-priced items, a successful holiday gifting campaign can have big impacts for a company. Two-thirds of employees who received a desired holiday gift said it made them feel more positive about their employers, and more than three-quarters noted that it would make them more likely to stay with their company.
77%
Percentage of employees receiving a desired holiday gift that said it would make them more likely to stay with their company
However, amid a challenging economic year and tight labor market where employees are already hesitant to leave jobs (even if they’re unhappy), many workers worry they won’t see any appreciation from their employers this holiday season. More than 40% of respondents report that they don’t expect or don’t know if they’ll receive a gift in 2025 – compared to just 2% who didn’t receive a gift last year.
“It’s not just about being practical – it’s about showing employees they’re valued beyond their output,” Doctorow said. “Get it right, and you’re boosting loyalty, morale and retention. Get it wrong, and that gift gathering dust becomes a missed opportunity.”
Custom Ink ranked fifth on Counselor’s most recent list of top distributors in the industry, with estimated 2024 North American promotional products revenue of $650 million.