5 ways a luxury concierge can help during the gifting season

What you want has proven impossible to find

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Sometimes, knowing exactly what you want doesn’t make your task any easier, especially if you’ve been chasing it down all over the world, only to hear the dreaded words, “We’re sold out globally” or “ We don’t make them any more”.

This is where Quintessentially ’s “don’t take no for an answer ” approach can work wonders. “We had a Singapore member who was trying to find specific Bottega Veneta cushions,” Kathy recalls. “They had gone out of production, so she was looking for something that just wasn’t available in the market. We spent hours on the phone with different stores in different countries, trying to see if anyone had any leftover stock. In the end, we reached out to our office in Italy to talk to the brand directly about having those cushions made and sent here for our member.”

You don't have a clue as to what to get

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“A lot of people come to us for inspiration, ideas and suggestions on something to give to a partner, family member or friend,” says Kathy, who goes on to describe how they put in place the process to help you decide on the right gift. “We find out everything: What are their likes and dislikes? What kind of preferences do they have? What occasion is being celebrated? Is there a meaningful moment in time that this gift needs to symbolise or celebrate? And, of course, what is the relationship between the receiver and the giver? All that will affect the kind of gift that we recommend.”

You want something out of the box but don't know how to execute it

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“We once arranged a survival vacation for a father and son, as a present for the son. It was an opportunity for them to spend time together, build their bond and learn new skills. We arranged for them to go to Fiji and train with an ex army survival specialist for a few days. They learnt to fish, find fresh water, build a fire, make a camp and live off the land. After training, we dropped them off by helicopter on an uninhabited island. They had to put those skills into practice and survive in the wild,” shares Kathy.

In this case, Quintessentially being a licensed travel provider was crucial to the company being able to pull this off. “We have a well established travel business along with our concierge service. And we really had to leverage the people that we knew locally and regionally because, in a place like Fiji, there are only certain people who can help you do something like this.”

Your recipient already has everything

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When someone has all the physical things that money can buy, Quintessentially can advise and arrange for intangible experiences. “We’ve noticed a shift toward transformational travel — people want travel to have an educational purpose. They want to learn about a local community, take away new skills, or go to a factory and learn how handbags are made.”

It also has suggestions for those who want to do something for the greater good. “In this time, there have been charities that have seen their funding channels dry up because they can’t raise funds the way they used to,” says Kathy. “So we encourage people to support a good cause instead of buying something. And we look at what they like to get ideas. If they really love wildlife, we can build an experience around that for them, for example, around a chimpanzee sanctuary, in addition to them making a donation.”

You're worried about scams or fake goods

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When you’re shopping online, making sure you get what you’re paying for can be difficult, especially when you are tracking down something from a particular brand, of a particular make and model, from a particular year. “We have personal shoppers who can source, if you are looking for hard-to-find items, like vintage wines, luxury watches and rare handbags,” says Kathy. More importantly, you can trust that what they find will be genuine and authentic – the real deal. “Our role is not just about saving time, but also to present people with qualified and verified recommendations.”

It can do this because every single supplier, brand or business Quintessentially deals with is part of a network that has been painstakingly cultivated over time. “We have been building these relationships over the last 20 years, so we have made deep connections in the market across many industries.”

Tips for choosing the perfect gift

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The best presents are those that are thoughtful, meaningful and personal, says Kathy. Here are some ways to achieve that.

1. Do a thought tree – spend some thinking about the receiver and halo items that hit their style, interest or passion points.

2. You can’t go wrong with a gift that is symbolic, references the relationship between the giver and the receiver, or marks an occasion. Jewellery can hit this sweet spot, as can a bottle of good wine with a vintage that is from the same birth year as the receiver.

3. Consider what might have changed in their lives. Did they just take up a new hobby? Become a parent? Get promoted? Choose a gift that would meet these new needs.

4. Do a variation of something that was well-received before – if organising a lunch party went down well one year, try an afternoon tea or bringing in a chef for an indulgent dinner the next year.

5. Think about complementing or contrasting their current lives. For example, in a climate where someone has been staying home, you could choose a “contrast” gift of an experience to get them out of the house, like a staycation or a spa package. Or you could “complement” by sending over a hamper of luxe gourmet goodies or hand-poured candles that they can enjoy at home.

For more info, visit quintessentially.com.

This article was first published in the December 2021 issue of Her World.