Key Takeaways:
- Corporate gifting trends have evolved into strategic tools that companies use to attract and retain employees.
- The corporate gifting market is expected to grow to nearly $957 billion in 2026.
- Corporate gifting trends for 2026 include experiential gifts, personalization, wellness and self-care, and phygital and digital rewards.
It wasn’t too long ago that corporate employees coveted leather desk sets, expensive watches, and luxury pens as rewards for longevity with a company. These days, corporate gift-giving has evolved into a strategic tool to show appreciation for and retain employees. In fact, companies often use rewards to drive higher performance on long-term goals or as part of a comprehensive benefits package.
The corporate gifting market sat at just over $886 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach nearly $957 billion in 2026. Companies are in tune with evolving trends like sustainability that affect employees’ desires, and they continue to build strategic employee rewards strategies accordingly. Here’s a look at the emerging trends we’re seeing for 2026.
1. Experiential gifts
Calls for sustainability and meaningful rewards have given rise to corporations giving fewer objects and more experiences. Experiences like team outings, dinners, ticketed events, and more are more memorable and have more potential to foster employee collaboration and engagement.
Ideas for this trend include:
- Gift boxes that provide everything necessary for a particular activity. This could be a themed box for employees to enjoy at home with family members, a personalized hobby box, or a collection of games and puzzles.
- Escape room outings, where teammates work together to solve puzzles and unlock rooms.
- In-home or in-office chef-prepared meals, where guests not only enjoy a good meal but also interact with the chef to learn about cooking or the foods served.
2. Personalization
Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all corporate gifts. Personalization – and not just adding a name or initials to a watch – is the new gold standard. When companies take the time to curate gifts and rewards that speak to an employee’s individuality, they show their appreciation and respect in a way that fosters loyalty and engagement.
Ideas include:
- Curated gift baskets that incorporate the recipient’s favorite items.
- Equipment or tools that support the employee’s weekend hobbies.
- Spa and wellness certificates that allow employees to choose their own self-care vendors and procedures.
- Digital certificates that provide a choice of event tickets, restaurants or other experiences.
3. Wellness and self-care
In this post-COVID era, employees and companies alike are focused on wellness, mental health, and self-care. This sentiment has found its way into corporate gifting trends, with companies offering items that enhance wellness both inside and outside of the workplace. Ideas include:
- Tools for healthier work stations, such as blue light-blocking lenses and ergonomic desk accessories.
- Fitness trackers and smart watches that encourage and enhance exercise.
- Aromatherapy items, like diffusers, to foster calming work environments.
- Spa finder certificates.
- Mediation and other wellness applications or subscriptions.
4. Phygital rewards
Phygital rewards combine physical and digital rewards, giving employees the best of both worlds. Physical gifts might include a QR code or NFC tag that links to a personalized video message, augmented reality that tells or shows the history of a company or other information, online workshops, or virtual events. Examples include:
- Smart water bottles with digital elements that track hydration or exercise.
- Interactive notebooks that link to augmented reality applications with messages from company leaders.
- Gift boxes with QR codes that link to digital gifts.
5. Digital rewards
Digital rewards are becoming ever more popular with employees, especially those from Generation Z. This could mean online gift cards to restaurants, prepaid Visa and Mastercard rewards, subscriptions to wellness or streaming services, virtual experiences like online classes, and more.
One way to combine the trends of personalization and digital rewards is to use corporate gift cards for a variety of speciality rewards for everything from gym and other wellness memberships to cash rewards, experiential gifts, and merchandise.
As we go through 2026, corporate gifting trends will continue to evolve, with companies employing rewards to foster better relationships with their associates, higher employee engagement levels, and enhanced company performance.