OPW INTERVIEW – RealGifts is our newest (Courtland Brooks) client and OPW sponsor. They do G-commerce (at scale) for dating. Here is my interview with dating industry veteran Ruben Buell who is CEO of RealGifts. – Mark Brooks
What is G-commerce?
G-commerce is gifting commerce. We take E-Commerce and tailor it to the act of giving and receiving. In dating, this means we enable one dater to give a gift to another, without disclosure of mailing addresses. Due to the increase in globalization, internet penetration, and the post-corona trend of working from home, this vertical is set to grow at a rapid rate over the next several years.
There is a major increase in demand for instant, last-minute gifts and easy gift exchanges. Personalization is also key – people want an experience that caters to them, and gifts that they have specified, rather than something that they will inevitably return.
Studies reveal that for every $10 the average American spends, $1 is spent on buying someone a gift, and on average this amounts to $1,851 per year spent on gifts. According to stats, the global personalized online gifts market amounts to $31.36 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 9% per year.
People naturally express their love and emotions through gifts, and as our lives shift online, so do our habits. Gift-giving is a fundamental part of human relationships, and we are reinventing it, and making it even more accessible.
What is RealGifts?
RealGifts is a widget that enables users to send each other personalized, self-chosen gifts without disclosing any personal information, ensuring privacy and security. Through this, RealGifts both boosts UX as well as the level of engagement among users.
The widget itself is an award-winning end-to-end solution that provides a selection of best-selling products from brands that truly embody luxury. Users can create personal wishlists, and from those wishlists, other users can send gifts across mobile applications and traditional websites.
How does it help singles connect?
Gift-giving is a love language in and of itself.
RealGifts is the method through which people can speak that particular love language. They can express their feelings – recent or more long-term – with these self-chosen gifts, deepening connections and making the online dating experience far more real and intimate.
RealGifts creates a memorable experience for users – but more than that, it makes the experience real and tangible. It’s the stepping stone for taking the online dating experience into the real world, and gives couples something that is shared, and that represents the depth of their connection.
How long has it been around, and at what scale is the platform tested to?
RealGifts has been around since 2006, and has been tested for a scale of over 150 million users globally.
What are the most popular gifts?
RealGifts has a vast range of gifts, but the most popular categories that we've seen chosen by our members, and purchased by our members are:
- Fragrances
- Earrings
- Floral Chocolates
- Bags and Wallets
How does it help dating apps monetize?
Dating apps receive a 10%-30% payout on all gift sales.
There is no outside link when using the widget; everything happens on your app or on your site, so the engagement time vastly increases. We've found that each member spends an average of 11 minutes creating their wishlist and browsing the selection available, greatly boosting their ARPU.
Contact: rebeca.valdez@getrealgifts.com