Retail chain introduces a 'useful' gift package for newlyweds — including toilet paper and trash bags
Priorities are shifting for the newlyweds. With the toppling economy and surging living expenses, married couples are now opting for practical gifts over lavish ones. Earlier on, it was common for wedding guests to gift the bride and groom with expensive gifts like home appliances, chinaware, or crystal sets. Now, couples prefer toilet paper, toothpaste, and trash bags over them. As absurd as that may sound, British retail chain Tesco conducted a survey about the ideal gifts for newlyweds or engaged couples. The results are interesting and encouraged Tesco to launch the wedding gift packages containing “useful stuff” for them, as reported by PEOPLE.
The retailer has come up with the brilliant idea of selling gift packages curated for newlyweds. But it does not include the conventional gift options, but rather ones that would be of practical use in their daily lives. Now selling on the wedding registry site Prezola.com, the wedding gift packages come in three different combinations and prices. Their most expensive, ‘Dine-In Dates’ bundle, priced at $96, offers Tesco’s finest ready-made meals and wine, allowing the new husband and wife to indulge in the comfort of their home. ‘Tesco Really Useful Stuff’ package, worth $85, lives up to its name. The gift set contains 12-roll packs of toilet paper, garbage bags, two toothpaste tubes, paper towels, antibacterial hand soap, and shower products. Very practical, indeed.
Their third and final product, the ‘I Love Brew’ package, ties in with a six-month supply of tea and biscuits– a potential gift for the tea lovers. This comes with a price tag of $52. While affordable than the regular wedding gift options, Tesco is confident these gift sets will surely come in handy in the first year of marriage as the couples begin to set up their homes. In an official press release, Tesco noted that while these wedding gift bundles are not romantic, they do address the “real needs of modern couples across the U.K.” The statement added, “It’s clear from our research that these are the products that could help to get married life off to a brilliant start.”
The survey involved about 2,000 newlywed participants, 90% of whom agreed that practical gifts are welcome than luxurious ones. Higher living costs and a competitive economy were two of their major concerns. “Our research has shown that it is the little things that matter most to couples, whether it is hearing about your partner’s day over a cuppa and a biscuit, sharing the chores, or making time for a dine-in date night," the statement revealed. The rest were pleased with fine china kitchenware and crockery, or towels. Interestingly, another 18% of the couples said they would love to have their weekly grocery lists be covered for a year instead of owning expensive appliances or crockery.
According to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, marketing professors Z. John Zhang and Pinar Yildirim have studied the shifting consumption patterns from luxury to minimalism in this generation. Over the past two decades, minimalist consumption has taken center stage, focusing on buying fewer items and better.