A Couple Of Things – Of Gift Guides and Gratitude
On the rise of gift guides, shifting consumer instincts, and why gratitude remains the most undervalued constant.
Just like every other year, 2025 has flown away as well. Looking back at it, we’ve all had the gift of time, moments of grief, conversations that triggered something new, and experiences that taught us something long-lasting. At the end of it all, no gift guides will ever put a list price to gratitude, just because one simply can’t. Gratitude itself is never timebound—it need not wait for an event or a reminder, nor be an output of a structured data set, and one should not let it age into forgetfulness. For this piece, I reflect on the evolving shopping influences, conventional gift guides, and ever-resident gratitude. Read on!
The Wave Of The Obvious
Earlier in December, 2025, I was reading this piece by marketing professor, thought leader, and columnist, Mark Ritson, on the shopping trends between Target and Walmart, especially during the Thanksgiving week. The Thanksgiving week is marked with steep discounts largely in North America, and retail outlets feel like concert grounds. Mark talks about the difference in strategies between Target and Walmart—where the latter stuck to its single-minded end customer benefit of saving money and lower prices, and Target continued to position itself around purpose, and its commitment to DEI initiatives. While I strongly believe in every brand operating as a purpose-driven citizen, and being socially responsible, in 2025, more than ever before, a for-profit brand’s primary responsibility towards their customers was to make their pockets feel stress-free, and investments dearer. This point by Mark sums up the dichotomy of balancing purpose with tangible value very well,
“We have known since the days of David Ogilvy that people don’t think what they feel, say what they think, or do what they say. That’s especially true in the socially signalled, buoyant world of brand purpose.”
Shifting the focus from direct brand promise to a hive of influence triggers of consumer choice—gift guides, content creators, commerce shapers, and wait for it… ‘you and me’. Gift guide as a concept has been around for decades. What once used to be an elegant-looking centerspread of a magazine, or an unmissable insert, has today evolved into YouTube videos, affiliate sites, and independent TikTok and Instagram content creators. The commercial transaction is no longer involving the product alone, but it’s inclusive of the voice of belief of the reviewer/content creator. Hence, neutrality is lost, subjectivity creeps in, and conversion is personal.
“Product recommendations have always expressed the ethos or aesthetic of a brand, of course, but today’s influencer- or creator-authored guides must capture and commoditize the personality of an individual. They demonstrate taste, class, curatorial skill, politics and erudition.”, says Caitlin Dewey, author of the rise of the gift-guide industrial complex. Caitlin wrote this piece towards the end of 2024, where she remarked on the on-coming fourth wave of social commerce, where every individual will be a seller of some form. As we close out 2025 and look forward to 2026, I think we’re very much riding that wave on TikTok and Instagram. According to Sprout Social, Gen Z and Millennials turn to social media as the primary source for holiday shopping and product discovery. Layer that with additional insights around higher preference for word-of-mouth referrals from friends and families and people-to-people user reviews on one side, and lower conversion-only responsiveness to paid ads on the other; the case for individuals being walking and talking gift guides is very much real.
The other factors that are influencing consumer choice are external economic indicators, and personal belief systems. As expected, due to the fragile job market, fluctuating tariff sanctions, and rising inflation in 2025, the consumer sentiment, especially in North America has been pessimistic according to a McKinsey research. There’s recalibration of preferences across categories, focus on more planned purchases, and a highly cautious approach to holiday shopping. Although Gen Z is increasingly willing to indulge on tangible things and intangible experiences for themselves, alongside exploring newer products and brands that invest in sustainable creations, they are highly cost conscious, and would be the heaviest hit in a slow economy. In 2025, Gen X were the highest spenders, even if they constitute only 17% of the world population. Therefore, for every brand, there are three truths to own and hone as we dive into 2026:
Balance purpose and profits by marrying brand ethos with customer belief systems and reality—employment, spending power, product quality, and ability to make ends meet.
Drive credible partnerships across the supply chain, content creators, and partners to drive authenticity with end customers. There are too many platforms, and too many people constituting the court of instant verdict, which only makes building customer trust the sole strategic priority.
Caring for environment is not just a fashion statement or a marketing campaign. It’s increasingly going to be table stakes for every brand, as customers continue to judge the brand on their external conduct with diverse societal stakeholders, and their stand on matters beyond their immediate line of business.
Some of the above have been obvious for a few years, but stating the obvious equals driving recall.
The Gift Of Gratitude
I’ve never seen or heard of ‘gratitude’ featuring in any of the illustrious gift guides. Nor it’s something that needs to be recommended with five stars. However, a lot of the psychologists have theorised about gratitude as a reciprocal act in return. In my books, it’s something that’s a part of us—altruistic and ever present. I was trying to trace the different theories supporting the evolution of gratitude, and came across this study that reflects on gratitude as an act of long-term cooperation, and argues the role of human willingness to be graciously giving despite expecting anything in return.
Most of the harvest festivals have historically been considered as a moment to pause, reflect, and be thankful for the produce. There are celebrations like Thanksgiving that are designated days to feel thankful. And then there are instances when one visits religious places of worship to express gratitude to God. Our everyday privilege (no matter how big or small) deserves every measure of gratitude, and so do the little acts of kindness we witness along the way. These could be ranging from just thanking people who make daily deliveries to our homes, to our family getting dinner on the table, to our colleagues at work being wonderful collaborators. How often do we forget to be grateful for the comfort and luxuries we’ve gotten used to over time? Being mindful is hard, but that unlocks much higher value than any materialistic gifts on Black Friday sale.
So, as we turn the year, if there’s one feeling I would underline 2025 with, and continue to grow with in years to come, it’d be the feeling of ‘gratitude’. You can never discount the effect it has on the people on the receiving end of your gratitude. And that’s an initiation of what Martin Nowak and Sébastien Roch have cited in their research linked above—’upstream reciprocity’.
Listen Up
Roads by Portishead, from the live concert at the Roseland Ballroom, New York City from 1997, which was issued as an album in 1998. This song originally features in their 1994 debut album titled Dummy. The haunting vocals of Beth Gibbons backed by the ambient and spooky musicianship from Geoff Burrow and Adrian Utley carves a contemplative and deep space for reflection, and to be one with oneself.
I’m forever on the lookout for tunes old and new, You can check out my expanding Trove Of Tunes that I’m curating in a Spotify playlist.
Cheers,
Shri