Words Vicki Ravlich-Horan, Images Ashlee DeCaires
A lot of thought goes into a name, a business as much as a child. Lucie Pernicova admits they discussed many when incubating their gift box business and kept coming back to the same one.
Good things take time and after a few delays in launching their website, About You Gift Box launched at the start of this year. The name, Lucie says, goes to the heart of the business – you.
You being the gifter, and you being the giftee. Both parties in this exchange are considered and thought about at About You Gift Box (AYGB).
Originally from the Czech Republic, Lucie has called New Zealand home for 11 years. Having owned a restaurant in the Czech Republic, Lucie understands hospitality and the importance of creating memorable experiences.
In New Zealand Lucie has held a number of roles from hospitality to retail but kept coming back to the idea of a gift box company. From a logistics point of view, it was a business she could start from her studio at her Tamahere home. But more crucially it was a business she believed she could add value to by taking a unique approach.
In the past when looking for a gift box to give Lucie believed many missed the mark, with the receiver getting a gift that’s didn’t convey the message of thanks, gratitude or thought the gifter was wanting to send.
Sourcing wonderful products to go in the gift boxes is key. Lucie admits this is also a part of the job she enjoys – discovering exciting new products meeting the makers and hearing their stories. Trips to the Auckland and Melbourne gift fares got them started but there was more to it than finding pretty things, saying she is looking “for more depth to the products, echoing our ethos”.
“The products have to have their own story,” says Lucie, pointing to the gorgeous Chatham Island soaps which are hand crafted from natural ingredients and beautiful botanicals.
AYGB also has a big focus on local, wanting to first and foremost service the local market and curate boxes that celebrate the Waikato. This can be seen in the choice of wine with Takapoto Estate Wines featuring in the lineup. Alex Coldicutt, wine maker at Takapoto, admits he’s “been part of the gift box journey from day one”, having been in on many of the discussions as well as the chocolate and wine tastings.
Alex’s wife, Adela, is also from the Czech Republic, of which there are not many in Cambridge, so Lucie and Adela were quickly connected and became great friends. Aside from the personal connection, Lucie says, “Takapoto is a premium brand and local, so a perfect fit.”
Lucie says, “The boxes need to make sense, we’re not just filling spaces.” This is why she goes to the effort to taste the wine and the chocolate (I know, hard job right!) to ensure they go well together.
Lucie takes it a step further, wanting each box to have “delights for now, later and much later”. This is a key part of the thought process behind the gifting – not just a “wow, I wasn’t expecting that” moment but one that lasts.
The packaging is vital, as it illustrates the care that goes into each box. Lucie admits she loves putting the boxes together, as she gets the thrill you get when you are giving someone something special, the true gift of giving.
“We put a lot of effort into making and packaging our wine,” Alex says, “so it’s great to see a continuation of that when they are put into the gift boxes.” Alex also loves that the boxes allow people to discover a unique wine from Cambridge they might not otherwise have tried.
The care continues, with Lucie often delivering boxes locally by hand, otherwise they have built a great relationship with Chantelle, their NZ Post courier. “Another person,” Lucie says, “who can’t do enough to help us.”
All this thought and care is paying off, with the business, up to this date, growing purely on word of mouth. While the website offers clients the ability to easily pick and choose boxes already carefully curated, Lucie offers corporate clients a unique experience with crafting sessions, where they can create bespoke boxes to suit their needs and clients.
As someone who gives gifts often, I think it’s about time a gift box company started caring about you – be you the gifter or the giftee.
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