Is this a service you would use?

[wildwildsouth]

I've inherited quite a bit of money and am planning to open my own business within the next couple of years. I have a few ideas but this one I feel is genius. However, people I speak to in real life about it don't seem that impressed.

My idea is a shop that does wrapping. It would sell lots of wrapping paper, sellotape, scissors etc but on top of that it would offer a wrapping service.

So someone could come in one gift and ask to have it wrapped really nicely with ribbons and bows etc. Or someone could come in with their full Christmas presents needing wrapped. Maybe the ones they have for their kids from Santa, they might choose just a basic wrap which would cost less etc.

There would be trolleys etc near the entrance for people with lots of things needing wrapped.

Is that a service you would use?

No, sorry.

Although it's a pain sometimes, I actually quite enjoy wrapping and tbh I just do it while I'm watching tv. And it would cost a fortune.

Nope.
Most fancy shops offer a gift wrapping service anyway (that I also would never use - too costly, not eco friendly, I can wrap things myself)

No, I like doing my wrapping .

No. At Christmas there are stalls locally offering this outside the main shopping centre for donations to charity. I’ve used them a few times. It’s always a long wait, but it’s for a good cause and saves me an evening wrapping Christmas presents. I haven’t missed it when it wasn’t there and have never wished it was there at other times.

I think you’d have to wrap an awful lot of presents to make any decent money.
I also don’t think I would take my presents there, at Christmas I couldn’t imagine packing them all up in the car to drop off and coming back to collect.

I guess for a one off gift I had on my person if I happened to pass I might use it.

@Stichintime

No, because of additional expense. Also I think things are moving away from fancy wrapped gifts because of the environmental impact.

Agree, I was just thinking about this!

I remember counters like this from when I was a child. You rarely see them anymore.

I’m probably the target demographic for this kind of service. I’m a busy professional who outsources many tasks. Gift wrapping happens to be one of the tasks I enjoy though so I make sure to make time for this one.

Around Christmas I always see a few people on my neighborhood chat group advertising their gift wrapping services, but they just work out of their homes.

No, not because of the cost, more because it's a hassle to take things to a shop to get them wrapped. There's already a service in the shopping mall

No, sorry.

I hate wrapping presents (I also hate buying them, I never have any ideas and am the kind of person that prefers to put £20 in an envelope instead) but I wouldn’t want to pay anyone else to do it either, it seems like such an unnecessary expense and I’d rather spend the money on having a coffee with the recipient of the gift.

But then I was shocked to see how much money some people spend on gift wrap. There were threads at Christmas of people spending £50 for a roll Of wrapping paper and I was Proper shocked- it will be thrown away regardless if it costs £1 or £50!
I guess the reason shops like your idea don’t exist already is becasue supermarkets already stock wrapping paper and cards and most households already have sellotape and scissors, they don’t need to be replaced that often (tape, I tend to buy a job lot at Christmas and it lasts all year).

It's not the type of service I can see having a proper future, as people move to more sustainable lives and look to cut back on waste.

Jane Means kind of does this as part of her gift wrapping portfolio. janemeans.com/pages/london-gift-wrapping-service

Can’t imagine a gift wrapping shop being on every high street. It’s rather niche more for corporate clients and the wealthy.

No
Too expensive
Too much hassle yo get the gift(s) there & collect them again
Worry that you'd lose/damage my gifts
Everyone shops online now & most companies offer a wrapping service & will send direct to the recipient

Overheads will be huge (rent, rates, electricity, water, shop fit out, stock, security, accountant, allow 1/3 for employers costs on top of salary costs)

I cannot see how this could make money

Not at all sorry op

A better idea might be online personal shopping for those men who don't know what to buy. Could all be done via zoom/teams. Showing items they may like in a price range etc.
Save lots of women getting Hoover's for their birthdays

I personally wouldn't as I enjoy wrapping myself, but it is something my dad would have used for sure. I think it also depends where you are if your in a city like London, Manchester, Edinburgh etc I think it would be more viable than if you were in a town.

It's a nice idea but not a business I dont think.
The shift to online and people liks etsy means a large chunk of the market isn't there.
Only in the busiest high street would you get any footfall. At busy times of year you will have charities doing it to raise money.
Dont spend your inheritance on this!

There were charities set up in our closest big town 2 years ago at Christmas. Honestly, no, it's not something I would use.

No - I'd have to lug all the presents to you, unless you offered a collect and deliver service.

Wrapping up is a bore, but I wouldn't pay someone else to do it.

It might be an idea to cater for business that want to have corporate gifts wrapped?

It might work if you could also offer a storage service for Christmas presents? However a customer's natural concern would be if either the business went into liquidation or there was a fire/break in then their presents would be gone! Maybe not such a great idea then....

Nope

Sounds like a sure fire way to lose your inheritance money I'm afraid

Nope sorry

Honestly, if you have inherited a large sum of money and you want it to earn money, DO NOT invest it in starting your own business.

DH and I have 2 businesses - in health services. It is VERY hard work, very long hours and the return is not usually equal to the hours put in.

However, if you invest in other people's businesses (do not do this as a one off - you need to be sure of how you can invest and where to invest, perhaps get good advice) you get a percentage return on investment without the stress and hassle of working all the hours yourself.

Using inherited money successfully to start a business only really works where you are already successful in the area and then branch out into your own business with the seed money from the inheritance.

Are you joking? It would take more effort to drive to the wrapping shop then it would take to wrap a present! Please don't waste your inheritance on this.
A good business satisfies a need in the market. Look for something people need not something people might find helpful.

If it was a really good service I would certainly use it. I absolutely love to present beautifully wrapped presents and I must admit I sometimes pick something from certain shops/brands because it's wrapped up to feel more luxurious.

I wouldn't pay to get 10x items wrapped up with only sellotape in the same type of paper for instance...