To think that home businesses

[SlummingAngel]

That involve chucking a load of supermarket tat in a basket, calling it a "hamper" and slapping a price premium on it is taking the piss?

My local FB pages are full of this right now.

AS an example, on one page has a "relaxation" basket containing bath salts, a candle, a scrub mitt, a face mask, a few other similar bits and some chocolate and they're asking £15 - the contents easily cost less than £10.
It involves even less effort than the "fairy lights in wine bottles" or "badly-drawn Santa plate" efforts that were the previous low.

sneakysnoopysniper

I completely agree. I too have been selling online for almost 2 decades ( not hampers).

Good luck to anyone trying to give it a go.
If no one wants it then it wont sell, and they won't be in business for long.
I wouldn't criticise anyone for trying.

@sneakysnoopysniper

As someone who has sold online for 18+ years (not hampers but vintage and antiques) my view is that no one holds a gun to a customer's head and forces them to buy. Any more they they force me to buy my bits and pieces from Amazon and Ebay. Im a disabled non driver so dont have the resources to go poncing around the shops at the best of times, even pre covid. There are many people who live rural, or who for various reasons dont have the ability, time or leisure to go from shop to shop assembling a "collection". Selling online is tough so good luck to those who can make a few pounds.

Exactly this.

I sell natural pet "treat hampers" online. I make money from it and it's popular but it's not particularly easy. Someone once complained that I charged for postage

What they failed to understand was that If I offered "free postage" the price of the hampers would have to go up accordingly!

20 years ago I started an embryonic Food Hamper business.
I went to the local Small Business Gateway for advice.
I was a bit embarrassed that all I was doing was assembling a few (high end) bits and pieces and posting them. They told me I was 'curating artisan products, presenting them in a unique fashion, and delivering a quality experience'. OK, I thought. To my surprise, there was a lot of interest (partly because I offered an individual contents service at a cheaper price than that would have cost from Harrods)

I think what 'offends' folk is cheap contents and presentation as much as it clogging up FB etc. If someone wants to pay for honest goods and an honest service, and someone can make an honest living from that, what is wrong with that?

@PolarnOPirate

They need food hygiene certificates and inspected kitchens. Guarantee most of them don’t. I certainly wouldn’t buy from them especially at the moment! I do have the above and I’m not trading at the moment due to covid! Hardly essential! But so many food businesses miraculously popping up.

I don’t think you read the Op. you just jumped on your own little soap box

I don't see how they're taking the piss. Are they lying about the contents of the hampers or something? A lady near me is doing various little hampers one has a kids movie (you can choose from a selection ), some popcorn, snacks etc, another has some pamper type things with a hot chocolate etc. I bought one for my finds little girl who has been struggling a bit recently and she absolutely loved it. The seller will have made a profit, the recipient was happy andI didn't have to pick up all of the bits and deliver them myself (I don't drive). No piss was taken.

@PolarnOPirate

They need food hygiene certificates and inspected kitchens. Guarantee most of them don’t. I certainly wouldn’t buy from them especially at the moment! I do have the above and I’m not trading at the moment due to covid! Hardly essential! But so many food businesses miraculously popping up.

You don't need any kind of hygiene certificate to put packaged goods in a basket and wrap it in cellophane .

If you're baking your own goods, then that's different.

@PolarnOPirate

They need food hygiene certificates and inspected kitchens. Guarantee most of them don’t. I certainly wouldn’t buy from them especially at the moment! I do have the above and I’m not trading at the moment due to covid! Hardly essential! But so many food businesses miraculously popping up.

what?