What is the best way to handle employee holiday gifts?

Let employees choose their own gift instead of picking one item for everyone. The two common approaches are sending digital gift cards redeemable on a company store, or opening a temporary pop-up store stocked with a few curated items where each employee selects their gift.

What is the difference between a company store and a pop-up store for gifting?

A company store is a branded storefront that stays open year round — for gifting, you issue digital gift cards that employees redeem on it. A pop-up store is temporary, with a close date: you stock a select few items, employees pick their gift, and when it closes you have exact order quantities for each item and size.

How do digital gift cards for employees work?

From the Swelo Hub you create gift cards and send them to your whole team at once. Each employee receives theirs by branded email and redeems it on your company store for the product they actually want, in their own size.

When should you start planning company holiday gifts?

Earlier than it feels like you should — early fall at the latest. September through December goes quickly, and custom merch needs time for product selection, decoration, production, and shipping before the holidays.

Do employees pick their own sizes with a gifting store?

Yes. Whether they redeem a gift card on a company store or claim a gift from a pop-up store, each recipient selects their own item and size, which eliminates the sizing guesswork and the returns that follow it.

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Employee gifting, without the guesswork

Holiday gifting turns into a month-long headache when one person picks a gift for the whole company. Company stores and pop-up stores let every employee choose their own — here's how both work.

August 19, 2026 · Spencer MacKay · 3 min read

A branded notebook presented in a gift box, the kind of item employees redeem from a company gifting store.

Key takeaways

The hardest part of company holiday gifting is picking one gift for everyone — interests differ, sizes don't match, and the aftermath drags on for weeks.
The fix is to stop choosing for people: let every employee redeem or select their own gift through a company store or a pop-up store.
Digital gift cards from the Swelo Hub go out by branded email in bulk, and employees redeem them on your always-open company store.
Pop-up stores are temporary storefronts with a close date — stock a few curated items, let everyone pick, then close the store with exact order quantities in hand.
Holiday planning starts earlier than it feels like it should: September through December disappears fast, and production and shipping lead times are real.

This week I want to talk about the art of employee gifting — and how the Swelo Hub can make your life easier when the holiday rush season hits.

Christmas is almost here... sort of

Before you know it, Christmas will have come and gone. Every year the months of September through December just fly by — probably in part thanks to football season and everything else going on. But it's never too early to be thinking about your company holiday gifts.

One of the most common complaints I hear from marketing teams about their holiday gifting programs is how hard it is to satisfy every employee. Everybody has different interests, sizes don't always match up, and it can turn into a month-long headache after the fact.

That's why we recommend one of two approaches: a company store, or a pop-up store. Let's dive into why.

Option 1: gift cards on your company store

A company store is a branded storefront that stays open all the time, so your employees, customers, and anyone else you invite have access to it year round. One of the best ways to leverage your store for the holidays is to issue digital gift cards to your employees.

From the Swelo Hub you can create and send gift cards to your whole company at once. Each one arrives by a branded email, and every recipient redeems theirs for whatever they actually want from your store. No more trying to land on one product for the entire company.

Gift cards are redeemed on your own branded store — every employee picks their own gift.

More on how these stores work in Company storefronts.

Option 2: a pop-up gifting store

If you don't want to run your gifting program through your company store — or you don't have one — pop-up stores are for you. A pop-up store is a temporary storefront with a close date.

You add a select few items, send everyone the link to go redeem their gift, and close the store after a set amount of time. When it closes, you have all of your order data — the exact quantities of each item and size to order, chosen by the people receiving them.

Which one should you use?

Company store + gift cards — best if you already run (or want) a year-round store. Gifting becomes a five-minute task: issue the cards, and the store handles the rest.
Pop-up store — best for a one-off program with a deadline. A curated selection, a close date, and exact quantities when it ends.

Either way, you save your team the headache and your recipients get a gift they actually want. Both live inside the Swelo Hub alongside your inventory and shipping, so redemptions ship without another spreadsheet.

Want help getting your holiday program set up before the rush? Book a call or email me directly at spencer@swelo.co.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to handle employee holiday gifts?: Let employees choose their own gift instead of picking one item for everyone. The two common approaches are sending digital gift cards redeemable on a company store, or opening a temporary pop-up store stocked with a few curated items where each employee selects their gift.
What is the difference between a company store and a pop-up store for gifting?: A company store is a branded storefront that stays open year round — for gifting, you issue digital gift cards that employees redeem on it. A pop-up store is temporary, with a close date: you stock a select few items, employees pick their gift, and when it closes you have exact order quantities for each item and size.
How do digital gift cards for employees work?: From the Swelo Hub you create gift cards and send them to your whole team at once. Each employee receives theirs by branded email and redeems it on your company store for the product they actually want, in their own size.
When should you start planning company holiday gifts?: Earlier than it feels like you should — early fall at the latest. September through December goes quickly, and custom merch needs time for product selection, decoration, production, and shipping before the holidays.
Do employees pick their own sizes with a gifting store?: Yes. Whether they redeem a gift card on a company store or claim a gift from a pop-up store, each recipient selects their own item and size, which eliminates the sizing guesswork and the returns that follow it.

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