Quirky, customised items rule virtual shopping list

“We are seeing a huge departure from traditional gifting norms towards a personalised, quirky trend online nowadays,” said Shweta Raman and Saloni Shah, gift box designers and curators who have a label, The Style Salad. “Agate coasters, chocolate sparklers, and customised playing cards are some of the favourites this season.”

With corporate offices also getting onto the bandwagon, drinkware with the company’s logo sculpted is also a popular idea. Since going green is the flavour of the season, eco-friendly items such as bamboo toothbrushes and organic products are hot-sellers as well.

“Chennaiites are into getting healthy and fit these days, so instead of sweets and chocolates, a variety of health-oriented snacks can be found on websites. Indoor plants are another option. As far as fashion goes, belted kurtas are in vogue from e-commerce sites,” said city-based Instagram influencer Rupjyoti Gogoi.

Most youngsters are choosing useful gifts with a level of quirk attached to them – but there are those who also wish to step it up a notch and explore the realm of possibilities in the virtual world to the best of their abilities. For instance, pop-culture choices include Avengers memorabilia (an Infinity Gauntlet coffee mug or a Thor hammer) and the eternal favourite: the Game of Thrones board game. Others include Fitbit trackers for health-conscious friends and novelty pen drives that are an inexpensive proposition.

“I got my girlfriend a customised bobblehead doll of herself! All it required was uploading her photo on the website, and I got the miniature in just under a week. She loved it,” said Riaz Sheriff, a software developer in the city.