Traditional gift baskets have long been a popular way to thank clients. There are many variety available off the shelf and can be very presentable.
But they also come with one obvious challenge: the contents can feel boring and clients may not like every item.Â
In contrast, recipient-choice gifting takes a different approach by letting the person choose what they love. It removes the guesswork and offers a personalized gifting experience.
So which is better for client gifting? Let's take a look at a few comparisons.
Traditional gift baskets: Simple, but less personal
With a traditional gift basket, the contents are usually chosen ahead of time. You can select from premade baskets, or in some cases, customize one yourself. That can work well when you already know the recipient’s preferences.
The downside is that many baskets contain standard assortments. Some items may be a hit, while others may go untouched. You’ll also need the recipient’s delivery address before placing the order, which can be awkward when gifting a client or professional connection.
Recipient-choice gifts remove the guesswork
Instead of choosing every item yourself, a recipient-choice gift lets the person receiving it decide what they actually want. This can make the gift more relevant without requiring you to know their preferences ahead of time.
With Maple Parcel, for example, you choose the gift size and write a personal message. The recipient receives a link in their email, chooses their favourite items and enters their own delivery address.
You still make the gesture and decide how much you want to give, while the recipient gets more control over what arrives.
Research suggests recipients appreciate getting what they actually want
There is research behind the idea that guessing isn’t always the best approach to gifting.
In a 2011 study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, researchers Francesca Gino and Francis Flynn conducted five studies comparing requested and unrequested gifts.
They found that recipients were more appreciative of gifts they had explicitly requested than gifts chosen without their input. Interestingly, gift givers tended to believe that choosing an unsolicited gift themselves would be perceived as more thoughtful than recipients actually found it to be.
More recent research adds an important nuance. A 2025 study published in Psychology & Marketing found that offering choices can sometimes make a gift feel less thoughtful if recipients believe the giver has put in less effort. However, this effect became smaller in more socially distant relationships and when the giver had already made some decisions about the gift.
For professional gifting, this suggests a useful middle ground: make the gesture intentional while still giving the recipient some control over what they receive.
For example, the sender can choose the gift value, write the message and decide the occasion, while the recipient chooses the items they’ll actually enjoy.
Price: gift baskets can get expensive quickly
Price is another difference worth considering.
Entry-level gift baskets can be relatively affordable, but larger and more premium corporate baskets can quickly reach $100, $200 or more.
Maple Parcel offers a different approach with several gift sizes, allowing the sender to choose a budget while the recipient decides what goes inside.
That doesn’t mean a traditional gift basket will always cost more. There are affordable options in both categories. But when you’re gifting multiple clients or professional contacts, having smaller gift sizes can make it easier to keep the gesture within your budget.
Which is better for client gifting?
It depends on the relationship.
A traditional gift basket can be a good option when you know the recipient well, already have a good idea of what they’ll enjoy, or want to send a large assortment for an entire office.
A recipient-choice gift may make more sense when:
- You don’t know the recipient’s preferences
- You don’t have their mailing address
- You’re gifting an individual rather than an entire office
- You want to reduce the risk of sending unwanted items
- You want the recipient to have some control over the gift
- You’re gifting a newer client or professional connection
The takeaway
Traditional gift baskets and recipient-choice gifts can both make thoughtful client gifts. The better option depends on how well you know the recipient and how much you want to choose on their behalf.
If you already know exactly what someone likes, a traditional gift basket can work well.
But when you don’t know their preferences or address, a recipient-choice gift can reduce the guesswork while still allowing you to make a thoughtful gesture.
Research also suggests that recipients value gifts that reflect what they actually want. The key is finding the right balance between thoughtfulness from the sender and choice for the recipient.
That’s the idea behind Maple Parcel: you choose the gift size and message, and they choose what goes inside.