7 Best Examples of Gift Finder for Holiday Sales Seasons
The holiday rush is coming! Bringing opportunities with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve—your last chance to hit yearly goals. If you’re still searching for standout ideas for your eCommerce store, you’re in the right place!
In this series of articles, we will explore four parts filled with 25 holiday sales ideas for ecommerce, especially for Shopify stores. Let’s begin with today’s topic: Gift finders. This article explores the magic of gift finders, from creative styles to live examples from Chanel, Lego, Sephora and shows you how to implement them on your Shopify store for a smoother, more engaging holiday season.
- Quiz Gift Finders: Inspired by Lego
- Chatbot Gift Finders: Chanel Made It So Cool!
- Dropdown Pre-Filter Menus: Simplify the Shopping Journey
- Mad Libs-Style Finders: Add a Touch of Fun and Personalization
- Gift Finder CTAs in Product Detail Pages: Make It No-brainer for Customers
- In-Grid Gift Finder Banners Inspired by Sephora
- Gift Finder in Search Widgets: Make a Seamless Experience
💁 Read the whole series of 25 Best Holiday Sales Promotion Ideas:
What Are Gift Finders and Why Is It a Good Idea for Holiday Seasons?
A gift finder is an interactive tool on an eCommerce site that asks customers a few fun, specific questions to guide them to ideal gift options based on their answers. Gift finders provide a personalized experience that makes shopping easier and helps customers feel more confident about their choices.
During busy shopping seasons, gift finders cut through the clutter by narrowing down options. This not only saves time but also keeps customers from getting overwhelmed. By guiding shoppers based on factors like recipient type, personality, or budget, gift finders can increase sales and customer satisfaction.
7 Top Gift Finder Ideas For Holiday Sales: Examples from Leading Ecommerce Stores😎
Now, let’s move on to the most important part of today’s article. We will explore seven of the best gift-finder ideas inspired by top brands, along with instructions on how to create each one for your store. 💁 We’ve included some amazing apps to ensure that this guide is intuitive, making it easy to turn these ideas into reality!
#1 Quiz Gift Finders: Inspired by Lego
Quiz Gift finder is a fun, interactive approach that mirrors the swipeable, “yes/no”and multiple choices format. This style has become increasingly popular in eCommerce, especially for brands like Lego and Uncommon Goods, who leverage the simplicity and speed of this method to guide shoppers toward ideal products. Let’s break down why this approach works, where to place it on your site, and how to create one for your Shopify store.
👉 Learn From The Most Stunning Examples:
Looking at Lego gift finder tool. The Lego gift finder quiz is a simple, effective tool for guiding holiday shoppers. Lego asks just three targeted questions (age, interests, budget), capturing key info without overwhelming the user. They provide flexible, multiple-choice options let customers quickly select preferences, keeping engagement high. A “Building your ideal list” message after the quiz keeps users engaged and anticipates personalized results.
👉 Where to Place: Feature on the homepage or as a dedicated “Gift Finder” page to maximize visibility.
✅ How to Create Yours Own:
- Design Key Questions: Choose 3-5 core questions that help narrow gift choices (e.g., recipient’s interests or age).
- Use Simple “Yes” or “No” Choices: Opt for quick, binary answers to reduce decision fatigue.
- Add Visuals and Short Copy: Include engaging images and concise text to provide context without overwhelming the user.
🔎 Recommended Shopify Quiz Apps to Create a Gift Finder Quiz:
We test some solutions on Shopify App Store and this our top choices for you to create a stunning gift finder on your store:
- Shop Quiz: Product Recommender: This app guides shoppers through a tailored quiz, collecting zero-party data and boosting conversions with personalized suggestions. Integrate results into your CRM for powerful marketing insights.
- Quiz Kit: Smart Product Finder: This app Offer a personal shopping experience with Quiz Kit’s AI-powered, customizable quizzes. Choose from 20 templates or create your own. Capture leads, sync with CRMs, and gain insights with analytics for high-ROI gift finders that convert.
#2 Chatbot Gift Finders: Chanel Made It So Cool! - Best Gift Guide Ever
Chatbot gift finders add a personal, conversational touch to holiday shopping, guiding customers to ideal gifts through interactive Q&A sessions. Chanel, for example, effectively uses a chatbot to help customers discover products tailored to their needs, emulating an in-store experience.
💡View live example for chat bot gift finders from Chanel here!
👉 Learn From The Most Stunning Examples:
Chanel’s chatbot gift finder is an excellent example of this approach done well. Unlike traditional chatbots, it’s set up to lead users through a series of targeted questions, effectively emulating a one-on-one shopping experience. By asking probing questions about the recipient’s preferences, such as favorite colors, styles, or specific interests, the chatbot is able to guide customers to the most suitable products in just a few clicks.
👉 Where to Place: Place the chatbot gift finder on your homepage or product pages, clearly labeled as a gift helper. This makes it easy for shoppers to find and use.
✅ How to Create Yours Own:
- Start with a warm welcome like, “Looking for the perfect gift?”
- Follow up with targeted questions about the recipient’s style or preferences, using quick “yes/no” answers or multiple choice to keep it simple.
- Finish with a call-to-action button like “Shop Now” to lead shoppers directly to the recommended products.
🔎 Recommended Shopify ChatBot Apps:
It seems hard to find an app serves the specific requirement like in the example of Chanel. But we had found some similar solutions can help you implement it:
Tidio Live Chat & AI Chatbots: Tidio’s Lyro AI chatbot and live chat features can create an interactive gift finder that recommends products, previews carts, and checks order history. Seamless Shopify integration and a ticketing system make it efficient for managing holiday inquiries.
Chatty: Live Chat Helpdesk FAQ: Chatty’s AI chatbot, customizable FAQ hub, and multi-platform messaging make it easy to guide customers to the perfect gifts. With order tracking and a mobile app, Chatty supports responsive customer engagement across devices.
#3 Dropdown Pre-Filter Menus: Simplify the Shopping Journey
Dropdown Pre-Filter Menus in your store is a fantastic way to streamline the shopping experience, allowing customers to find exactly what they’re looking for without wading through pages of products. This user-friendly approach to filtering can help customers navigate your store effortlessly and arrive at the right gift selection faster, which, in turn, enhances their shopping satisfaction and can lead to increased conversions.
💡View live example for pre-filter dropdown menus from American Eagle here!
👉 Learn From The Most Stunning Examples:
A great example of a successful pre-filter dropdown menu is American Eagle Outfitters. They’ve used dropdown filters in their homepage banners to quickly direct customers to specific categories.
For instance, by breaking down gift options into segments like “For Him,” “For Her,” or “Gifts Under $50,” they provides easy-to-navigate options that encourage shoppers to engage more deeply with the product categories most relevant to them.
These dropdowns are especially helpful for holiday shoppers who have a general idea of what they need but want to narrow down options efficiently.
👉 Where to Place: Ideally, dropdown pre-filter menus should be placed prominently on the homepage within eye-catching banners or at the top of the category pages. This positioning allows customers to instantly start their search in a structured way rather than being bombarded with a full catalog of products, which can feel overwhelming.
✅ How to Create Yours Own:
Make sure each dropdown category is intuitive and aligns with the way your customers are likely to search; this will help reduce decision fatigue and make the shopping process smoother.
For example, your dropdown menu might include:
- For Whom: Options like “For Him,” “For Her,” “For Kids,” and “For Pets”
- By Price: Filters such as “Under $25,” “$25–$50,” “$50–$100,” and so on
- By Interests: Categories such as “Tech Gadgets,” “Home Décor,” “Beauty Essentials,” and “Outdoor Gear”
🔎 Recommended Mega Menu Apps for Shopify:
Here’re some mega menu & navigation apps we supposed to be helpful for the dropdown menu dispaly:
Qikify Mega Menu & Navigation: This app lets you create multi-level, customizable dropdown menus with product, collection, and custom links. It’s perfect for holiday shopping with options to add labels, badges, and featured product widgets to highlight seasonal deals.
- Globo Mega Menu, Navigation: This app provides flexible, multi-level dropdowns with tabs, links, and custom HTML blocks. Easily highlight “HOT” items and feature products directly within the menu, making gift navigation fast and intuitive for holiday shoppers.
#4 Mad Libs-Style Finders: Add a Touch of Fun and Personalization
Mad Libs-style gift finders are an innovative way to infuse a playful, personalized touch into the shopping experience. This type of gift finder prompts users to fill in blanks within short phrases, creating a custom query that helps narrow down options in a way that feels unique to each user. Let’s look at how this format works, why it’s effective, and how you can bring it to life on your own store.
👉 Learn From The Most Stunning Examples:
First Aid Beauty’s Mad Libs-style gift finder transforms holiday shopping with a fun, personalized touch. By prompting users to fill in phrases like “Best for [Skin Concern],” it simplifies decision-making and feels tailored, helping customers find ideal products with ease. Positioned on the homepage near product listings, it’s accessible and user-friendly, reducing browsing time and cognitive load.
Or look at another example of Drmtlgy, they featured a Mad Libs-Style finder under your product listing page to navigate customers.
👉 Where to Place: Homepage, just below product listings, or even in a dedicated “Gift Finder” section.
✅ How to Create Yours Own:
To set up a Mad Libs-style finder, start by crafting a set of simple, fill-in-the-blank statements such as “Find a gift for [RECIPIENT] who loves [INTEREST].” Each blank invites users to specify details about the gift recipient, from hobbies to personality traits, which ultimately refines their product search. This fun format not only engages shoppers but also makes the search process more intuitive.
🔎 Recommended Apps:
Currently, no app meets this specific requirement. So please follow us, we will update you as soon as we find an app that can fulfil this need. If you want to make it right away, let’s connect with a developer to help you do that!
#5 Gift Finder CTAs in Product Detail Pages: Make It No-brainer for Customers
While some visitors arrive with a specific item in mind, others may still be uncertain about the perfect choice. This is where a Gift Finder CTA (Call-to-Action) on the product page can work wonders.
By placing a clear, inviting button that links to your gift finder near the “Buy” button or other primary action areas, you can gently guide uncertain customers to explore relevant options. This approach not only helps users make informed decisions but also increases their likelihood of making a purchase by easing decision fatigue.
💡View live example of Kay Jewelers’s gift finder CTA here!
👉 Learn From The Most Stunning Examples:
In the example of Kay Jewelers, the brand prominently placed a “Gift Finder” CTA in or near the Buy Box. This gave potential buyers the option to explore other products that matched their needs and preferences without feeling pressured. This method was particularly effective at retaining customers who might otherwise have abandoned the page, unsure if they’d found the right gift.
👉 Where to Place: Near the Buy Button on product detail pages.
✅ How to Create Yours Own:
Place a prominent “Need Help Finding a Gift?” button next to the Buy button, linking to your gift finder tool. This simple addition to the product detail page immediately catches the attention of customers who may still be deciding on their purchase.
🔎 Recommended Apps:
No app is required for this idea; just use the built-in theme customizer in your Shopify store admin dashboard to add a CTA to your product detail page. However, you need to create a Gift product listing page in advance to navigate your customers. You can get some inspiration from the #1 ideas or look at some examples of American Eagle or Kay Jewelers, as we provided above.
#6 In-Grid Gift Finder Banners Inspired by Sephora
In-grid gift finder banners are a subtle yet highly effective way to keep customers engaged as they browse product categories. By strategically placing small banners or CTA icons within product grids, you can gently remind shoppers that help is just a click away if they’re unsure what to buy. This type of guidance can be the perfect nudge for customers who might be browsing without a clear direction.
👉 Learn From The Most Stunning Examples:
Sephora is a prime example of a brand that has successfully used in-grid gift finder banners. During high-traffic holiday seasons, Sephora embedded “Need Gift Ideas?” banners within its product categories, which encouraged customers to explore the gift finder without interrupting their browsing experience. This is particularly effective for beauty or fashion brands with diverse product ranges, as it helps customers refine their choices without being overwhelmed.
👉 Where to Place: Product grid pages are the perfect spot for in-grid gift finder banners, as they’re highly visible during browsing. To make the most of this placement, embed the banners in product categories with a high volume of choices or where decision fatigue might arise (such as skincare, beauty, or apparel).
✅ How to Create Yours Own:
- Design Minimalist Banners with text like “Need Help Finding a Gift?” and link them directly to your gift finder.
- Strategic Placement: Position banners every few rows within popular categories, especially where decision fatigue might occur.
- Holiday Theme: Use festive icons or colors to make them seasonally relevant without overwhelming the design.
🔎 Recommended Shopify Popups and Banners Apps:
There’re some solutions we found for you. Let’s see what they offer:
- Optimonk: Popups you’ll love: While primarily known for popups, OptiMonk’s flexibility and visual editor allow it to create in-grid, embedded elements that appear more like banners than traditional popups. This approach can create targeted prompts within product grids that encourage users to explore gift-finding tools without interrupting their browsing flow.
- Nosto: Nosto’s platform focuses on personalized in-site experiences, including customized recommendations and banners within product grids. With AI-based recommendations and personalization capabilities, Nosto can target in-grid banners effectively, displaying them in relevant shopping contexts (like holiday shopping or specific product categories).
#7 Gift Finder in Search Widgets: Make a Seamless Experience
Imagine your customers have already come to your store with gift ideas in mind—they’re typing “gifts for dad” or “gifts under $50” into the search bar. Here’s where the power of a search-integrated gift finder shines. By embedding gift finder suggestions directly within the search bar, you create a shortcut to the perfect gifts, eliminating the need for extensive browsing and enhancing the ease of finding thoughtful presents. This subtle, highly effective feature can make your Shopify store’s search bar the ultimate tool for quick and intuitive holiday shopping.
👉 Learn From The Most Stunning Examples:
Staples’ search widget suggests categories and specific items as users type, instantly guiding them to relevant products. For your Shopify store, let’s take this a step further: integrate a “Gift Finder” option within your search results to guide customers directly to gift-appropriate selections based on keywords.
💡View the live example of Staple’s drop down search box here!
👉 Where to Place: Incorporate this gift-finding feature within typeahead search bars across your site. This placement ensures that holiday shoppers will encounter the gift finder early in their journey, especially if they enter the site intending to find a gift quickly.
✅ How to Create Yours Own:
- Identify Holiday Keywords: Trigger the gift finder for terms like “gift,” “presents for,” etc.
- Direct to Themed Gift Pages: Link to pre-sorted collections, like “For Him” or “Under $50,” for quick access to relevant items.
🔎 Recommended Shopify Search & Filters Apps:
We searched the Shopify App Store and discovered some great apps that offer advanced search filters. You can contact them for additional demands.
- Smart Product Filter & Search: This app allows advanced filtering by price, size, color, and custom tags, helping customers refine searches for the perfect gift. Features like instant search, auto-suggestion, and spell check simplify the shopping journey, while the customizable sidebar filter helps users quickly narrow down gift options.
- Rapid AI Search Bar & Filter: Its smart search bar provides instant, relevant suggestions and search recommendations tailored to holiday gifting needs. With custom filters by collection, tags, and more, it guides users directly to gift categories. Plus, advanced analytics help you optimize based on popular holiday searches, making it a valuable asset for seasonal sales.
Get Ready To Start Your Ecommerce Holiday Campaign!
As the holiday season approaches, try experimenting with these ideas to discover which gift finder style best suits your audience. Not only can this boost engagement, but it also improves customer satisfaction and drives more sales. So, get creative, add some holiday cheer, and start implementing these ideas today to make this season the best yet!
Which ideas will you implement first? Let’s us know in the comment section below. Don’t forget to follow our ecommerce ideas series, as more exciting ideas will be unveiled soon!
