UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL GIFTS:
There is a frequently misused word in the American lexicon which like a great many wrongly applied terms in the English language finds its roots in advertising and promotion.
When a product is referred to as, "very unique," the language is perverted in much the same way as when people use the superlatives, "absolute best," "virtually incomparable," or "almost perfect." The facts are, there are no degrees of perfection, incomparability, or what constitutes "the best." These things are unqualified, conclusive, and pure. Just as there is no such thing as "a little bit pregnant," something is either "unique," or it's not.
In a world where the "keyword search" is as powerful a force as gravity, the term "unique gifts" is very much the Holy Grail for online retailers and catalog merchants. Most often buried in a landslide of search terms that include:
Gifts, Unique gifts, Best gifts, Best gift ideas, Unique gifts for men and women, Gift catalogs, Best catalogs, Special Gifts, Unique Birthday Gifts, Best Christmas Gifts, Truly Unique Gifts, Unusual Gifts, Great Gifts, Holiday Gifts, Gift Ideas, Gifts for Men, Gifts for Women, Unique Gift Ideas, Last minute Gift Ideas, Top Gift Ideas, Top Unique Gifts, Top Christmas Gifts, Top Holiday Gifts, Great Holiday Gifts, Top Gifts for men, Best gifts for men, Gifts for him, Gifts for her, Toys and Gifts, Unique gifts for him, Unique Christmas gifts for him, Unusual gifts, Top 10 Gifts, Top 10 Unique gifts, Top 10 Best gifts, Top 10 Best gift ideas, Top 10 Unique gifts for men and women, Top 10 Gift catalogs, Top 10 Best catalogs, Top 10 Unique Gifts, Top 10 Special Gifts, Top Unique Birthday Gifts, Top 10 Best Christmas Gifts, Top 10 Truly Unique Gifts, Top 10 Unusual Gifts, Top 10 Great Gifts, Top 10 Holiday Gifts, Top 10 Best Gifts, Top 10 Gift Ideas, Top 10 Best Gift Ideas, Top 10 Gifts for Men, Top 10 Gifts for Women, Top 10 Catalogs, Top 10 Unique Gift Ideas, Top Last minute Gift Ideas, Top 10 Great Holiday Gifts, and UNIQUE STUFF THAT IS UNIQUE
It is no wonder that 95% of all online gift merchants get as much lasting attention as last year's American Idol rejects.
But, really, folks, exactly, what is unique about a porcelain hula dancer doorstop that doubles as a planter, if it is one of thousands of identical items pouring out of a factory in Thailand? And just because that silk tie with the little C3POs on it is unusual, does that really make it unique? How bout the Babe Ruth Rookie card, worth a quarter of a million dollars?
Simple test:
Is there more than one? Yes, there are nine Babe Ruth Rookie cards...
(I rest my case.)
unique /yu nik/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [yoo-neek]adjective
1. existing as the only one or as the sole example; single; solitary in type or characteristics: a unique copy of an ancient manuscript. 2. having no like or equal; unparalleled; incomparable: Bach was unique in his handling of counterpoint. 3. limited in occurrence to a given class, situation, or area: a species unique to Australia. 4. limited to a single outcome or result; without alternative possibilities: Certain types of problems have unique solutions.
Source: Dictionary.com
So, what's with all these "unique gifts" this holiday season? Is something unique simply because it comes from The Unique Gifts Store, or extremelyuniquegifts.com?
At last, there is an answer.
This week, American Consumer announced that Hammacher Schlemmer is rated #1 in the "Unique Gifts" category for online shopping-sharing this year's top honors with catalog newcomer, High Roller Toys.
"It's no surprise that Hammacher Schlemmer is at the top, once again," said Michelle Ryder, Director of Research for American Consumer. "Their catalog rates consistently high in all of our polling. Consumers know and trust HS, and have for over a decade."
The shocker, according to industry experts is the emergence of High Roller Toys, the online purveyor of upscale gifts for men and women, as a top tier outlet for unique and unusual gift items for this holiday shopping season.
"High Roller Toys is having phenomenal success by every measure," said Alan Parker of GiftGeek, the independent consumer products rating service which follows High Roller Toys. "In terms of quality, selection, value, and customer service, HRT's numbers are through the roof with consumers, propelling them to the first tier of online catalog merchants in less than a year of operation."
When asked about the overnight success of the company he founded, High Roller Toys president, Brian Gidda, pointed to value, trust, and vision as the lynchpins of his strategy.
"We cannot compete solely on price. Some of the larger companies have buying advantages that we don't. Rather we look to provide value in other ways. Online shopping is the wave of the future. It offers so many advantages over brick and mortar shopping-advertising costs, physical building costs, shop from home, no sales tax, etc. It's my belief that those online shops that learn to create trust for the shopper will prosper in coming years. Once trust is established, it becomes difficult for brick and mortar to compete. That's now the key," said Gidda.
"Still, to get to the level of Hammacher Schlemmer is no simple feat," added American Consumer's, Ryder.
"The internet has changed the playing field," Gidda explained. " . . . and some of the ways we're now promoting products-online articles, press releases, social networks, blogs, will take the place of traditional catalog advertising."
That would be where vision comes in.
For more information, contact AmericanConsumer@USA.com