Two startups that help you give better Christmas presents

I’ll be the first to admit this: Coming up with an impressive ________ (insert holiday) gift is both a chore and a challenge. Worse, many of us who are deficient in the creativity department end up resorting to cliché gifts like chocolates, Body Shop products (not another shower foam!) and Parker pens.

Hoping to save us from gift-giving perdition are SingExperience.sg and uniQgift, which are Singapore-based companies that provide unique “experience gifts” based around the idea of offering recipients unforgettable moments.

I came across SingExperience.sg after placing a call on SGE’s Facebook Page for startups related to gift-giving. It was founded in 2010 by Manita Bidaud, who was herself assaulted by a barrage of useless gifts that ended up collecting dust in the closet.

Her inspiration came when she attended the birthday party of her brother-in-law in France, who received a Ferrari car ride (not the car) as a gift. Manita believes this idea will work because Singaporeans are busy and equally upset about lousy gifts. She also hopes that through experience gifting, familial bond will tighten and friendships will deepen.

Which is what Christmas is actually about.

Whether a startup like hers can succeed though, depends on how unique the experience gifts are. Why go to SingExperience.sg if I can just book a cheap trip off group buying sites like Deal.com.sg?

So I visited a website and here’s a sampling of what they offer:

• A coaching session with a professional golf coach
• A foot bath served in a traditional wooden tub
• A ride around town in a Ferrari F430 F1 Spider or Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder
• A color analysis program for women to help them match the best clothes and accessories
• Coaster fishing
• Makeovers for men and women

The gifts are actually not bad, although I was a tad disappointed that they don’t offer even more kitschy stuff like Nyotaimori, which is the experience of eating sushi served on a naked woman, or even a body piercing session. Creativity, people!

Moving along, we have uniQgift, a company founded in 2008 that aims to simplify gift-giving by offering themed gift boxes based around experiences.

For example, if my friend is a foodie, I can purchase the ‘Gastronomy’ gift box that offers a gift certificate for two to a fine dining experience at one of twelve restaurants included in a guide book that is part of the package. Or, if my friend wants to learn dance, I can get him a ‘Hands-on’ workshop which would entitle him to one lesson at Jitterbugs Swingapore.

While uniQgift has an easy-to-navigate site, I find the gifts on offer comparatively pedestrian. SingExperience.sg has a much better offering, although I think their site is due for a makeover.

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