59% of Corporate Gift Recipients Would Rather Get Nothing Than Something That Feels Generic, New Packed with Purpose/Harris Poll Finds

New research commissioned by Packed with Purpose finds that thoughtfulness beats budget, and that gifts that give back do more to strengthen a business relationship than any other factor tested

CHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. companies spend an estimated $300-plus billion* annually on corporate gifts. Yet most of that spending runs on guesswork. Packed with Purpose's new 2026 State of Corporate Gifting Report** finds that the answer is not a bigger budget, it is thoughtfulness and impact.

"Every corporate gift is an investment in a relationship," said Leeatt Rothschild, Founder and CEO of Packed with Purpose. "Recipients are not looking for the most expensive gift. They value one that shows real thought, and when it misses, it backfires. Of all the attributes measured in this national study, gifts that give back did the most to strengthen a business relationship. That is what turns a gift into loyalty and referrals."

The Harris Poll surveyed 2,007 U.S. adults on July 23 and 24, 2026, on behalf of Packed with Purpose. Among those surveyed, 1,133 had received a corporate gift (i.e., recipients) and answered questions about their gifting experiences and how those gifts affected their relationships with the sender.

Thought Beats Spend

Recipients consistently rate thought above spend. 85% say the thought behind a gift matters more than its cost, and 84% say they would prefer an inexpensive useful gift over an expensive not useful one. When a gift lands well, it changes how they see the sender: 89% say a thoughtful corporate gift makes them think more highly of the person or company that sent it.

The stakes are even higher when corporate gifting goes wrong. 59% of recipients say they would rather receive nothing at all than something that feels generic, 15% say they have received a corporate gift that was so bad it felt insulting, and 17% have received a corporate gift that felt so thoughtless that it made them think less of the person or company that gave it.

Gifts That Give Back Stand Out

Among attributes considered to make a gift feel genuinely thoughtful, gifts that give back to a charitable cause or have a positive social impact emerged as the strongest predictor for strengthening business relationships. A gift that gives back was associated with 3.2 times the odds of strengthening a relationship, compared with 2 times the odds for a gift chosen specifically for the recipient and 1.6 times the odds for one that reflects the recipient's interests or values. †

Both employees and clients are influenced by gifts that give back. Among those who have received a corporate gift from an employer, 80% say they think more highly of a company whose gift gives back. Among those who have received a corporate gift from a client or customer, 81% say they would be more likely to tell someone else about a gift tied to a cause. ‡

Generational Differences Shape What Makes a Corporate Gift Memorable

The report also highlights age patterns in what connects with gift recipients. Recipients age 55+ are more likely than those age 18-34 to think more highly of a company that sends a thoughtful gift (93% vs. 84%). Recipients age 35-44 are more likely than those age 55+ to say a cause-aligned gift is more memorable than a generic one (85% vs. 75%).

As companies plan their gifting strategies, the findings point to one conclusion: an expensive gift that feels generic will do less for a business relationship than a useful, high-quality gift that gives back. Gifting done well is a strategic tool to build loyalty, retention and referrals. Gifts that give back resonate across all age groups: at least 7 in 10 gift recipients in every age group say they think more highly of a company whose gift gives back (82% age 18-44, 78% age 45-54, 75% age 55-64 and 71% age 65+).

What's Inside the 2026 State of Corporate Gifting Report

The full report breaks down what recipients told Packed with Purpose about the gifts they keep, the gifts they regret, and what separates the two, including:

• A rating of gift attributes, and how much each one moves the odds of strengthening a relationship
• Full data comparisons by age group
• Where employee and client gifting diverge, and what that means for how you budget each
• The specific qualities recipients name when they describe a gift worth keeping
• The most common gifting mistakes recipients reported
• Complete methodology and survey questions
• An interactive data tool

About Packed with Purpose

Celebrating 10 years of transforming the way organizations gift, Packed with Purpose has helped define the category of meaningful business gifting through thoughtfully curated gift collections featuring products from small businesses, nonprofits, and makers across the United States whose products give back.

Every gift supports meaningful impact, from creating employment opportunities for veterans and adults rebuilding their lives to championing women-owned and diverse-owned businesses.

Organizations nationwide trust Packed with Purpose for client, employee, and prospect gifting through a self-service ecommerce experience or personalized Gift Concierge support for large-scale gifting programs, with extensive branding and customization options. A Certified Woman-Owned Business and B Corporation, Packed with Purpose helps companies strengthen relationships through gifts that give back. For more information about Packed with Purpose, visit www.PackedwithPurpose.gifts.

To explore the full report and interactive findings dashboard, click here. For additional information, please reach out to Evie Olding at 937.489.8545 or [email protected] or Gardi Wilks at 708.205.5020 or [email protected]

*Source: Coresight Research

** This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Packed with Purpose from July 23 - 24, 2026 among 2,007 adults ages 18 and older, among whom 1,133 have ever received a corporate gift. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

† PwP analysis of PwP/Harris Poll survey data. Odds ratios derived from a weighted binary logistic regression model run on the full recipient base (n=1,133). Analysis conducted by Packed with Purpose.

‡ PwP analysis of PwP/Harris Poll survey data. Figures reflect weighted cross-tabulations of recipient subgroups segmented by gift source, derived from the raw survey data file.

SOURCE Packed with Purpose