RedEnvelope

Full review
If you've never used RedEnvelope you're missing out on one of the better ecommerce sites out there. This little gem of a site has stayed true to their original mission -- to make gift giving fun and easy -- and they've built a company that makes the online marketer in the Insider proud.

About the Company
I love it when there are threads of individuality throughout a business. RedEnvelope has that, in spades. They built their site and catalog according to the idea that that gift giving is a special thing -- something that has deep meaning to the receiver AND the sender. And this idea of deep meaning flows through all the consumer facing points of the site. Even the name has meaning. The name RedEnvelope comes from an "Asian tradition in which gifts are often presented in a simple red envelope—a timeless symbol of good fortune, love and appreciation. We believe that whether a gift is a token of gratitude or a grand gesture of love, its giving and receiving is a cherished occasion in itself." Even the box that your gift comes in is special. They're red, of course, but they're also very sturdy. It's one of those boxes that my wife will not throw out -- "save it, you can always use a good box".

The company was was incorporated in California in June 1997 under the name “Giftworks Online, Inc.”. Later, they changed the name to 𤇇 Gifts, Inc.” and reincorporated in the state of Delaware under that name. In September of 1999, they got it right, and finally changed their name to “RedEnvelope, Inc.” RedEnvelope was one of the few etailers to make it public and stay solvent. This was due to their ability to market themselves differently, and not go after the all things to all people. Think of them as an online Tiffany shop (slightly downscale from that) rather than a walmart.com.

Using the Site
The casual visitor to the RedEnvelope.com does not see anything radically different than other sites out there. There's no flashy graphics and this is probably by design. You're supposed to stop and look, then proceed. It's a simple white background with a red (duh!) logo. The customer service features are displayed at the top of each page near the red box. The front page of the site has a large merchandizing area that changes with the season. Today (5/17) they feature Father's Day gifts. The site uses five major "stores" or browse by options - Occasion, Recipient, Shops, Catalog, and Business Gifts. Each of these have dropdown categories under them, and each subcategory essentially spins the sites inventory so you only see the cut of products that interest you.

Let's assume we're going to be searching for a gift for a recent college graduate. Rolling over the Occasion store shows you the graduation subcategory. This category has 39 items to choose from - from diploma frames to monogrammed bracelets. The page shows a nice color shot of the item, along with it's name and price. It's easy to find something that would delight your graduate. Some of the items are standard fare, but many are unique to RedEnvelope. And all of them come with a story - the history of the item, and what giving it symbolizes. In addition to the red packaging, this story is shipped with your gift. Just a nice touch.

Purchasing from the Site
Just a quick note -- Because this is a gift giving site, the path is a bit different than other ecommerce sites. When you decide to buy something, the site immediately prompts you to add the recipient's name to that item in your basket. Other than this, it's a pretty standard checkout process.

Shipping and Handling Policies

Unfortunately, right now RedEnvelope does not ship to international addresses, P.O. boxes, APO addresses or US territories. Check back often on this, as I'm sure they will expand in the future. There are special considerations for shipping personalized gifts and flowers/plants or sending gifts to AK and HI - please check the site.

RedEnvelope uses UPS and FedEx to offer the following shipping options:

SHIPPING METHOD COST WHEN ITEMS WILL ARRIVE
Standard Service $7.95 5-7 business days, excluding holidays.*
Priority Service $15.90 Arr in 2 biz days when ordered before 9pm ET, Monday–Friday, ex holidays.*
Rush Service $22.90 Arrives next biz day when ordered b4 9pm ET, Monday–Friday,ex holidays.*

The Insider's Bottom Line
RedEnvelope.com is a great place to find that special thoughtful gift for any occasion. I've used it for wedding gifts, baby favors and I've always had great results!