Tis the season! With the holidays fast approaching, it's time to share our annual list of the best and the worst gift ideas for Boomers. Just when you thought shopping for a Boomer who has everything was impossible, now you need to do it during a pandemic? If you’ve got a Boomer on your gift list, or you’re a marketer looking to learn more about what Boomers want, here’s an insider’s glimpse of what they may want, and not want, this holiday season.
The Best Ideas
Desk Calendars
You remember these, right? Those nifty little physical calendars that adorned Boomers' mahogany desks right alongside their Rolodexes and rotary phones? Thanks to the pandemic, they're back from near extinction and are pushing aside electronic and phone-based versions. For the wfh Boomer on your list who keeps asking, "What day is it anyways?" here's the perfect throwback gift. An in-your-face, always-on reminder that it's not Saturday yet.
A Dumpster Delivery
In this dumpster fire of a year, there's no better gift than finding an empty, ready-to-fill dumpster in your driveway. Too much time at home has been reminding Boomers that they own too much, and nothing is more cathartic then finally getting rid of the things you've been saving for people who don't want them. Spoiler alert: Your granddaughter doesn't want your daughter's dollhouse that's been collecting dust in the attic for four decades. Ditto for Barbie, Ken and Candyland.
Anything DIY
The Boomers are at a stage in life where they're finally pursuing the hobbies that they never had time for. With the pandemic forcing more time at home, we now have a runaway do-it-yourself (DIY) trend. This is the year to buy them the tools they need to get the job done. But let's be clear. We're not talking about a miter saw or a table router to fabricate a new set of kitchen cabinets. Instead, think gadgets and gizmos like electric knife sharpeners, dryer vent cleaners, watch case openers for replacing dead batteries or new wiper blades. They'll thank you for helping them to discover that they've been paying other people too much for too many years to do things they could have done themselves. Duh.
Holiday Decorations
Long before Clark Griswold taught them everything they needed to know about exterior illumination, Boomers were setting the standard for elaborate but tasteful holiday decorations. Many years later, just as they were ready to forego the time consuming, non-essential and unrewarding task of decorating their home for the holidays, a pandemic has renewed their competitive spirit. Now they're all-in and rising to the challenge of making their homes distinctly more festive than those of the people next door. While their Millennial neighbors are buying prefabricated, inflatable reindeer displays at Home Depot, treat your Boomers to some traditional, all-natural decorative materials. Think boxwood wreaths, cedar roping and sprays of holly. And just for old time's sake, remind them why they almost gave up holiday decorating by throwing in a vintage string of lights that all die when only one bulb calls it quits.
Movie Tickets
Movie theaters love the Baby Boomers because they're the last generation that still appreciates the big screen experience. There's never been a better time to gift AMC and Fandango tickets because movies in theaters just took a big step closer to extinction. With Warner Brothers' recent announcement that they will stream all of their 2021 movies on HBO Max at the same time that they hit the theater, the theaters' reason for being will be limited to only the most dedicated of cinephiles. Do a Boomer a solid and give the gift of movies while we still have them, and while you're at it, help one navigate the transition to streaming video at home with some tech tips. But before you get into the navigation of new-age media, you'll need to start with some basics -- like explaining why it takes three remotes to watch one football game.
The Worst Ideas
Ties
These venerable sartorial accessories were losing favor long before the pandemic, but with the potentially permanent shift to working out of the office, the cravat market has officially cratered. Unless somebody comes up with a brilliant life hack that repurposes 36" of patterned silk in varying widths, it's time to embrace open neck comfort. While we're at it, ditto for suits and sport coats. After years of owning the extensive ensembles that were needed to "dress for success," the Boomers are gradually becoming the generation that only wears suits and ties at weddings and funerals.
Puzzles
You need look no further than your social media feed to discover that there's suddenly a pandemic plethora of jigsaw puzzles offering endless options for customization. Want a puzzle with your favorite photo of your pooch? Search Pawzzles. But as enticing as these unique gifts are, especially with a long dark winter ahead, think again. Jigsaw puzzles were a thing of the past until QT1 lockdowns gave them new legitimacy, but they're still a relic of past pastimes. Resist the urge to give an old-fashioned gift to a Boomer who's already worried that their retro choices may be dating them.
Gift Cards
On the face of it, gift cards would seem to be the perfect gift for the person who has everything. All you have to do is to figure out where they like to eat or shop, and presto, you're done. But that's the rub to gift cards -- they're too easy. Boomers have lived long and experienced lives, and they've developed some pretty high standards along the way. Don't take the easy way out with an Olive Garden gift card when a little extra thought and imagination could delight them, like with an LED Smart Garden to grow their favorite cooking herbs right in the kitchen.
Exotic Spice Collections
Now that the hot sauce trend has cooled off, the new culinary gifting rage is exotic spice collections, preferably organic. While it might be tempting to share a gift that will tantalize a Boomer's fatigued taste buds, there's no room left in their cluttered spice pantry. Last year's gift of Cowboy Grilling Rubs is elbowing for space with the Taj Mahal Curry Collection which is in front of the Wild Himalayan Salt Set that's blocking the unopened Southwestern Sampler from 2009. So, unless someone gifts them the aforementioned dumpster to help clean out the cupboard, you'll need to assume that they already have too much seasoning this holiday season.
That's a wrap. We hope this list is helpful to you as you look to get your gifting done in a challenging year. Best wishes for a joyous and safe holiday season and a New Year that restores the cherished normalcy that we've all earned.
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