Make it Personal
There was a time when personalised gifts were confined to key rings, name plaques for doors and birthday cakes. These were all very well but only if the shop had the name you required. Unusual names could rarely be found and this issue severely restricted sales. Nonetheless the concept of personalisation was a good one and merely required the arrival of the internet to make it viable.
Changing World
It is impossible to predict with any great certainty the names of the customers who will walk into a shop. Personalised goods were few and far between and sported a limited number of names. Serving only the immediate area of the shop or visitors to an attraction meant that making things to order wasn’t financially viable but all that changed with the internet.
Unlimited Choice
Now shops could sell to the whole world and over a relatively short period of time a proliferation of personalised goods came to the market. These days just about anything can be ordered with personalisation regardless of how unique and obscure the name concerned is. Bespoke orders are now the norm for everything from greetings cards to soft furnishings and we have all become used to having such services at our disposal.
The Benefits of Personalisation
Personalisation is actually a great concept when it comes to gifts. Adding someone’s name can transform the ordinary into something really special and unique. Ordering personalised goods shows that you have made an effort and have gone the extra mile. It demonstrates that you have taken care in your choice rather than grabbing the first thing you set eyes on. It makes any item a one off and specific to the recipient. Kids seem to particularly love anything with their own name on it. Personalised gifts make them feel special and it is always a lovely surprise when they open a gift to find it bares their name.
The Future
There is a definite trend for all things personalised and also custom made goods. People want their things to stand out from the crowd and customisation is the easiest way to achieve this without breaking the bank. Goods are produced from basic patterns or blanks and then the consumer adds their own personal touch. As technology marches on, more and more possibilities materialise and soon it won’t be simply a case of personalisation, it will be possible to produce truly unique goods from scratch without a premium price tag.
3D printing is set to transform retailing forever. Soon customers will be able to submit designs or a set of criteria like their own measurements and goods can be printed to order. The technology is in its infancy but it is already possible to order bespoke athletic footwear and other applications are inevitable in the future when the equipment is able to work with a wider variety of materials.
The days of simply buying anything off the shelf could be numbered and one day almost everything could be personalised if that is what you want.
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Article by Sally Stacey
Tags: 3D printing, personalisation, personalised gifts, personalised goods