Step by step
- Pick your nicheChoose one or two focus areas, such as festive hampers, baby gifts, kids' return gifts or personalised items.
- Check the basicsIf hampers include food, check the current FSSAI requirement. Check GST on the official portal, and avoid copying brand logos or cartoon characters.
- Buy base packagingStock a small set of baskets, boxes, fillers, ribbons and cards in standard sizes that work for several hampers.
- Plan 10 hampersList 10 hampers with contents, sizes and prices, including a budget option and a build-your-own option.
- Make and photograph samplesAssemble 3 to 4 sample hampers and photograph them in daylight from the front, from above and with contents laid out.
- Set up your shopCreate a free online shop with clear contents lists, prices and delivery details, and keep the link handy for WhatsApp.
- Ask about occasionsMessage friends, family and colleagues personally and ask whether a birthday, anniversary or event is coming up in their family.
Is a gift business right for you?
It suits you if you enjoy wrapping, arranging and making things look special, and you have patience for custom requests. Gifting buyers often want a name added, a colour changed or delivery on a specific date, so you need to be organised.
The work is seasonal. Orders can rush in before Diwali and Rakhi and slow down in between. Birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers and return gifts help fill the quieter months.
What you need and an approximate budget
You do not need a big stock to start. Many hamper makers keep a small base of baskets, boxes and fillers, and buy the contents once an order is confirmed. Personalised gift sellers may need a tool like a heat press, cutting machine or engraving service, or can outsource printing at first.
These are approximate ranges for planning only. Your actual cost will depend on your city and the kind of gifts you make.
- Baskets, trays, boxes and gift bags: roughly ₹2,000 to ₹8,000
- Fillers, ribbons, cellophane, tags and cards: roughly ₹1,000 to ₹3,000
- Sample hamper contents for photos: roughly ₹2,000 to ₹6,000
- Optional personalisation tools: can range from a few thousand to much more, so many start by outsourcing
Legal basics
If your hampers include packaged food like chocolates, dry fruits or sweets, food safety rules apply. Basic FSSAI registration is commonly needed for food businesses, even small home ones, so check the current requirement on the FSSAI website. Use sealed, labelled food items within their expiry date, and be careful when repacking loose food.
GST registration is usually needed only once your turnover crosses the threshold, or if you sell on certain online marketplaces. The rules and limits change, so check the current position with a CA or the official GST portal. Corporate buyers may ask for a GST invoice, which is worth keeping in mind as you grow.
If you print names, logos or characters, avoid copying brand logos or famous cartoon characters without permission.
Choosing a niche and your first 10 products
A clear niche makes your shop memorable: festive hampers, baby and new-mother gifts, return gifts for kids' parties, personalised mugs and frames, or budget office gifts. Start with one or two and expand later.
A sample first 10 for a festive and birthday hamper shop:
- A small chocolate and card hamper under ₹500
- A dry fruit tray for Diwali
- A Rakhi hamper with rakhi, roli-chawal and sweets
- A birthday hamper with a mug, chocolates and a note
- A self-care hamper with a candle, bath salts and a face mask
- A personalised name mug
- A photo frame gift
- A kids' return gift pack sold in sets of 10
- A couple's anniversary box
- A build-your-own hamper option where buyers pick items
Naming your shop and setting up online
Choose a warm, easy name that says gifts, like Wrapped with Love or The Hamper Story. Keep it short enough to type in a WhatsApp message.
You can set up a free shop on ShopShare in under a minute with your own link like yourname.shopshare.in. List each hamper with what is inside, its size and price. Buyers tap Order on WhatsApp, and the chat opens with the hamper already named, so you can quickly confirm the message card and delivery date.
Your first week plan
- Day 1: Pick your niche and plan 10 hampers with contents and prices
- Day 2: Make 3 to 4 sample hampers and photograph them well
- Day 3: Set up your shop and write clear contents lists
- Day 4: Message friends, family and colleagues personally with your link
- Day 5: Post samples on WhatsApp Status with prices
- Day 6: Post a reel of you packing a hamper
- Day 7: Ask anyone with an upcoming birthday or event in their family to try you