Key takeaways

A coffee gift box has to justify its price by pairing coffee with accessories the recipient uses again, which is what turns a pack into a gift.
Bili Hu uses handcrafted baskets from Uttar Pradesh for premium hampers, but sticks to boxes when the set has to travel without breakage.
Bili Hu keeps full-size bags inside a dedicated coffee gift box, and only shrinks the pack when the coffee joins a larger hamper of perishables.

Coffee boxes serve many purposes including protecting and storing the coffee and creating convenient access for those who use them. But a coffee gift box adds another component into the mix. It catches the buyer’s attention, communicates vital information about the beans, and makes the client feel like they’re receiving something special.

With so many different roles to complete, it can be challenging for a coffee gift box to tackle them all. As a result, the design process can make or break the success of a coffee gift box. We spoke with Bharat Singhal, the Founder of Bili Hu – an India-based specialty coffee company – to better understand the nuances of coffee gift box designs. Read on for his insights.

What makes a coffee gift box worth its extra cost?

A coffee gift box earns its price when it pairs the coffee with accessories the recipient keeps using. The presentation also has to feel like an experience rather than a bigger pack.

A coffee gift box provides extra value to the customer. Oftentimes, they include reusable items like mugs and accessories, which is one reason why they make quality gifts, and warrant extra cost. But without the right combination of elements, some clients may be wary of the added cost.

Bharat explained, “With the gifting season upon us, we realised our customers don’t want only coffee packs for gifting. It needs to be paired with other accessories around coffee brewing, coffee drinking at home and everything else that encompasses their everyday lifestyle.” This helps to add value to the kit that coffee roasters design, creating an attractive and collectible item for clients. MTPak Coffee’s guide to memorable unboxing experiences covers how that value gets built. Perfect Daily Grind has also looked at how roasters use packaging to sell coffee for more.

An important piece of Bili Hu’s coffee gift box designs revolves around the coffee experience. “At Bili Hu we believe owning a pack of coffee must feel like entering a different world, perhaps superior and more nerdy, more fun than the others; our gift boxes welcome the customer to the world of brewing coffee at home versus ordering coffee on multiple apps, or getting a takeaway from a nearby coffeeshop,” said Bharat. The result is something nobody can buy in conventional ways.

Using both boxes and baskets in coffee gift sets

Another way to warrant the extra cost that’s associated with a coffee gift box is by creating reusable packages. But in Bili Hu’s case, finding the right coffee gift box design comes down to balancing the experience with the right cost. “Ideally a gift box should be more functional after the gift items are taken out, but the cost of a regular gift box is usually the cheapest so we have stuck to those for now,” said Bharat.

One strategy that Bili Hu has used is adopting gift baskets instead of boxes. “We have however invested in a few baskets that are handcrafted in a small village in Uttar Pradesh, a state in North India. Their expertise is to make carpets and rugs, and they combined rugs and leather on those baskets. Each basket looks slightly different and we’re able to relate them to our world of coffee wherein each crop, each bean and each brew are slightly different,” said Bharat.

But Bharat admits that boxes are often a better option in situations where the coffee needs to travel. “However, the regular gift boxes are also beautiful and ensure our hamper reaches safely without breakage and without movement of goodies inside the box. Manier times delivery and packing holds more importance when taking such design decisions. The boxes have illustrations made by an illustrator and we’ve given due credits on the same panel so one can hang the lid as a piece of art,” he said. MTPak Coffee’s guide to sealing custom-printed coffee boxes for transit covers the same problem from the production side.

What should go inside a coffee gift box?

Contents follow the recipient. Work out who the box is for, how far it ships and how long it sits on a shelf. Choose the coffee format and accessories around those three answers.

Once a coffee roaster decides to create a coffee gift set, the next question often revolves around the interior contents of the box. Variables like who the box is for, how it ships, and how long it sits on the shelf help roasters determine what kind of packaging to use. The same questions settle which components belong in the box, and MTPak Coffee’s guide to what a subscription box should contain works through a similar list.

For Bili Hu, the boxes contain a variety of elements. “The large boxes comprise of everything around lifestyle. A martini box has a cocktail shaker, peg measure, bottle opener, a tray, martini glasses and a handcrafted wooden tray. We created content for manufacturing of these and put it together in a film to show how beautiful the world of handicrafts can be,” said Bharat.

A second coffee gift box the brand offers contains significantly different details. “Another box is with a coffee maker, handcrafted coasters and cups. Another has a hand grinder, and another is a simple one with just a small gooseneck kettle and merch. The gooseneck kettle is also popular because most people still haven’t experienced using a funky shaped kettle at home, like that of a gooseneck kettle,” said Bharat.

Drip coffee bags are often appealing for gift sets because they reduce the equipment a customer needs. That accommodates a greater range of people, and MTPak Coffee’s guide to drip coffee bags and filters covers the format. Some coffee roasters also reduce the size of the coffee bag, occasionally offering multiple types of coffee to sample. Bili Hu chooses to use full-size bags to keep the focus on the specialty coffee. “We don’t change the size of the coffee pack in gift boxes. While coffee is our key product, we won’t reduce the amount of coffee in a big box,” said Bharat.

On occasion, the brand will shrink the size of the coffee bag, but only under specific conditions. “We reduce the weight and pack size of coffee when a pack goes into a larger hamper with more perishable items. In those cases, a smaller pack works with a larger outer packaging so the basket feels full within a lower volume. The intention with a hamper basket is to give multiple artisanal products versus when gifting a dedicated Bili Hu gift box, the customer is thinking of specifically passing on their favourite coffee brand’s experience to their loved ones,” said Bharat.

MTPak Coffee’s guide to custom subscription and gift boxes sets out the format options behind those decisions.

Where does a coffee gift box actually sell, and how sustainable can it be?

Most roasters sell a coffee gift box direct through their own website, where they control photography and presentation. Sustainability then comes down to picking one problem per project and solving it properly.

Even the best coffee gift box can fail if it doesn’t reach the appropriate client. Many coffee roasters rely exclusively or predominantly on their website to sell gift sets. This allows the roaster to maintain control over elements like photography and presentation. Bili Hu has found this strategy to be the most reliable option. “[We always use] direct sales for gift boxes. Customers who believe in the brand want to spread the word and make their loved ones experience the brand with all the paraphernalia,” said Bharat.

Seasonal demand shapes that channel too. Perfect Daily Grind publishes an annual holiday coffee gift guide, and has covered the rise of coffee advent calendars as another seasonal format roasters build around.

Sustainability is a growing topic of conversation across many different markets, and the coffee market is no exception. Bili Hu recognises the importance of sustainable practices even in the way it approaches a coffee gift box. “Sustainability to me is about doing the right things the right way so I am excited to show up the next day. Conscious consumption is at the core of how I design, manufacture, sell and communicate what we’re doing here at Bili hu coffee. Reuse & recycle are exciting and soul satisfying but one can’t fight all wars by themselves. So we choose what war we’re fighting with each project and address only one at a time,” said Bharat.

MTPak Coffee offers low MOQs from 200 units, a free design service, fast turnarounds, and custom printed cartons and gift boxes for coffee. Contact us today to learn more about our customised coffee packaging.

FAQs

Should a coffee gift box contain full-size or sample-size bags?
It depends on the set. Bili Hu keeps full-size bags in a dedicated coffee gift box so the coffee stays the hero. Pack size only shrinks when the coffee joins a larger hamper alongside perishable items.

Does a coffee gift box need to be reusable to justify its price?
Not necessarily. Bharat Singhal says a reusable box is ideal, but standard gift boxes remain the cheapest option and often protect the contents better in transit. Illustrated lids give a keepable element without the cost.

Where do coffee gift boxes sell best?
Direct through the roaster’s own website. That keeps control of photography and presentation, and repeat customers tend to be the ones buying gifts for others.