A recent study revealed more than 60% of Americans would prefer to spend their money on travel over traditional wrapped presents for gifts. More Americans are minimizing their "stuff" and gravitating toward more experiences. Melanie White, executive vice president of Virgin Experience Gifts, shares insights from the experiential gifting field about where the market is headed and how Virgin experience gifts is leading the way in the U.S. market.
Melanie has had an impressive career, including earning degrees from both Fordham university and the fashion Institute of technology.
She has held sales and account executive posts with BCBG Max Azria group and Lacoste before moving to Virgin Experience Gifts six and a half years ago where she started out in product development. After changing careers in search of her "why," she moved up in the ranks to her current post as executive vice president.
Virgin Experience Gifts is the leading experience gift company in the United States. They offer top-rated adventures, tours and activities nationwide.
Show Notes
Melanie White, executive vice president of Virgin Experience Gifts, shares insights from the experiential gifting field about where the market is headed and how Virgin experience gifts is leading the way in the U.S. market.
Among her remarks:
- Melanie left her successful career in the fashion industry to find her "why" and search for something more meaningful. She talks about how providing curated experiences to enrich peoples' lives has been fulfilling.
- Virgin Experience Gifts is seeking to lead the way in forging the concept of experiential gifting: providing specially curated, experiential gift-giving that people can purchase for a friend, colleague or loved one.
- The COVID pandemic has left Americans with a pent-up desire for travel and adventure. This is helping Virgin Experience Gifts and experiential gifting succeed despite the pandemic.
- Woman are some of the top customers, buying experiences for spouses, friends and children.
- Millennials and Gen Z are driving the trend toward experiences over traditional "things" as gifts.
- Consumers are incredibly diverse. Virgin Experience Gifts is tapping into this diversity by offering experiences across the spectrum on price point and interest.
- Experiential gifting is not only more meaningful and unique, but it's also sustainable. Americans are attracted to a more minimal approach to acquiring stuff, and helping to eliminate the clutter.
- Virgin Experience Gifts sees their platform as a major opportunity for providers, destinations and retail labels. Virgin Experience Gifts could be a low-risk sales platform for them and a source of referral.
- Virgin Experience Gifts as a brand is in a hyper growth phase and sees big things on the horizon in the coming years.
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