Baskets Galore Ireland

Apologies Bloggers, It's been a little while since we last posted! It has been a hectic summer, with many projects on the go at once. There are lots of things to tell you about, but I thought I'd start with the 3 major projects that spring to mind. One of the main things we've been working on is the introduction of a new management system, which works as a stock control & order dispatch system as well as an accountancy & reporting package. After researching all the available packages on the market we decided to go with one called Linnworks, as it integrates seamlessly with our Magento E-commerce store. With any new system it takes a while to implement, learn & test before everything is as it should be. There was a lot of data entry to do, but now all that initial information has been inputted it will simply be a matter of keeping it up to date. Easier said than done I'm sure! We also had the Corporate Restructuring, as detailed in an earlier blog. This has a...

Our Top 10 Mistakes: (Part 1 of 2) As Basketsgalore approaches its 10th Birthday we’re looking back at some of the highs and lows of setting up an online gift basket business. As you can imagine a lot has changed since the first Basketsgalore website went live in 2001. Over the years the primary website has seen five rewrites with numerous amendments in between. Here is a selection of our most memorable mistakes. And on the basis that more is learnt from our mistakes than our successes, we begin with the aforementioned. 1) Maya the talking Mannequin. This was a great idea in theory. It involved purchasing a software licence to enable a 3D character to talk to the customer and deal with their most frequently asked questions. The character had to be programmed to blink and make facial changes. We got to the point of beginning voice recordings for the character and programming changes in facial expressions. Maya was uploaded to the website, but was met with a hail of opposition. “W...

Well Folks, that next occasion to celebrate is just around the corner - Father's Day falls on Sunday 19th June this year. Have you thought about what present you might get your long suffering dad? At BasketsGalore we have created a range of manly gift baskets, perfect for a Father's Day present . This range of gift baskets contain yummy gourmet treats that dads everywhere will love, from delicious creamy cheeses to Sicilian koppa ham, chilli nuts and stuffed peppers & olives. They say the way to a mans heart is through his stomach after all! You can also create your own basket of goodies if you prefer. We can deliver all over the UK & Ireland on a next day or 2 day basis, so there is still plenty of time to place your order. Simply choose to have the gift delivered on Thursday 16th or Friday 17th June, or there is a special Saturday delivery service for an extra charge to UK addresses. We are also offering one lucky facebook fan the chance to win one of these Father...

Only a month or so ago you would have noticed us talking about Mother's Day (Sunday 3rd April), yet here we are blogging about it again already! This is because the majority of countries around the world actually celebrate Mothering Sunday on the 2nd Sunday in May & this year that means Sunday 8th May (yes this Sunday!) The list below shows all the countries who celebrate in May, whereas in Ireland & the UK we celebrate on the 4th Sunday of Lent: * Anguilla * Aruba * Australia * Austria * Bahamas * Barbados * Bangladesh * Belgium * Belize * Bermuda * Bonaire * Brazil * Canada * Chile * China * Colombia * Cuba * Croatia * Curaçao * Czech Republic * Denmark * Ecuador * Estonia * Finland * Germany * Greece * Grenada * Honduras * Hong Kong * Iceland * Italy * Jamaica * Japan * Latvia * Malta * Malaysia * Netherla...

Can you believe the Easter Holidays are over already! We hope you all had fun in the sun barbequing and picnicking and spending time with friends & family.! Operations at BG have returned to normal, but only for a couple of days as there are some more holidays coming up..yey! Next Monday, 2nd May, is the May Day Bank Holiday which means the courier companies will not be collecting or delivering on this day. This Friday 29th April is also the Royal Wedding of Prince William & Kate Middleton in London. Because of this the day has been made a UK Bank Holiday & so our courier companies will not be collecting or delivering. We copy the courier holidays so BG will be closed too. With these holidays in mind, any orders placed on Friday & over the long weekend will be dispatched on Tuesday 3rd May. There are still normal deliveries tomorrow - Thursday 28th & Friday 29th in Ireland, so please get in touch if you would like a Friday delivery to an address in these areas. The ...

Well all your Easter orders are now winging their way to their lucky recipients! Due to arrive in time for the Easter Holidays & to be enjoyed in the sunshine! However, if you forgot to get your order in on time, there is still a chance if the delivery address is in Ireland! Couriers in Ireland still operate on Good Friday, but are closed on Easter Monday & Tuesday. When you order you will see the calendar tells you Tuesday is your next available delivery day, which is true if the delivery address is in England, Wales or Scotland. If your order is going to Ireland we can still dispatch these on Thursday for delivery on Friday 22nd (if order placed before 3pm on Thursday 21st) Just place the order & pick the "next available day" shipping option. We will know to send the gift ASAP if you have included an Easter message. Or feel free to reply to your order receipt email to confirm you would like a Friday delivery if possible! Remember this is for addresses in Irelan...

Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day! It could well be time to dust the old barbeques off! A bit of warmer weather has arrived & people seem to be a lot happier when there is a bit of sunshine around! Spring has sprung which means Easter will soon be here too. Good Friday is the 22nd April this year, with Easter Sunday on the 24th & Easter Monday the 25th April. Easter is one of our favourites times at BasketsGalore, as it goes hand-in-hand with baskets. They remind me of Easter picnics & Easter Egg hunts! Easter baskets are also a great gift idea. For Easter 2011 we have introduced lots of new Easter gift baskets , some for children (or big kids!) and some for the whole family to enjoy! As well as Easter Eggs, chocolates, lollipops and sweets you might find the Easter bunny himself! The goody basket is decorated in pretty ribbons & is then ready to be unwrapped by the lucky recipient! In our Family Easter baskets you will also find all these things, but...

Hi Folks, Just a brief update regarding our Mother's Day deliveries. There is still time to order for delivery before Sunday! Lots of lovely Mother's Day gift baskets are already on their way to mums across Ireland & the UK, after a very busy day of dispatches today. However, there is still time to order & have a gift basket of yummy treats delivered on Friday (1st April). Just place your order tonight or before 3pm tomorrow (Thursday 31st March) and pick the 'next available day' delivery option. We will then dispatch your gift on an overnight recorded delivery service. We may also be able to offer a Saturday delivery option for addresses in our hand delivery area & BT postcodes. If you would like to check if this is an option for your delivery address then please give us a call or drop us an email. We will also be drawing the Mother's Day competition winner soon, so 'Good Luck' to all our Facebook Fans! The BGie Team

Well can you believe it is almost the end of March already? Cos that means a very special occasion is coming up! This year Mothers Day in Ireland & the UK is actually in April (on Sunday 3rd April to be precise) as it falls on the 4th Sunday of Lent. Other countries around the world celebrate Mothers Day on various different dates. The 2nd Sunday in May is one of the most popular days for Mother's Day celebrations in many European countries, Canada, the US & Australia. We have so many new gift baskets on offer and many are just perfect for mums, so why not check out our M other's Day gift range , as well as all the other girly gift baskets . Whether your mum is a chocoholic or a cheese & biscuits girl, someone who likes to be pampered or a traditional flowers or fruit lover, we like to think we have a little something for everyone! We have also launched a competition on Facebook for a lucky mum to win a gorgeous gift basket, chosen especially for her. All you h...

Happy St Patrick's Day everyone! We hope all you lucky ducks with the day off enjoy yourselves. Great to see the sun shining! As well as being a public holiday in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador & in Montserrat, St Patricks Day is also celebrated around the world. Countries with Irish immigrants and their descendants tend to celebrate the occasion too. This includes countries such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea & Japan. There are many parades, parties & services around the world to celebrate Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognised of the Patron Saints of Ireland. We love the idea of people dressed in green, eating, drinking and being merry! Apparently the original colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue! Over the years the colour green gradually grew in assocation and green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th...

As well as new baby gift baskets we have always carried a range of gift baskets for children. Last month we had fun designing a whole new range of kids gifts . There are many more to choose from now, for many more ages ranges. Gifts For Toddlers (1-3 years) Toddlers gift baskets are those in the 1-3 years age range. Kids obviously want a present to be fun, but we also include educational, sensory items for them to enjoy. Toddlers gifts tend to include a soft toy such as a teddy bear, chunky 2-3 piece jigsaws, colouring sets, colouring books, colourful flashcards or build & play toys. Chocolate buttons or milky bars add a little sweet treat and a choice of helium character balloons complete the gift. The products included are all leading brands like Peppa Pig, Meccano Kids, Winnie The Pooh & Buttons produced by companies such as Ravensburger, Orchard Toys, Russ Berrie & Cadburys. Gifts For Pre-Schoolers (3-5 years) Gifts for Pre-Schoolers are for those in the 3-5 years age ...

Less than a week to go until Valentine’s Day! Yes it has snuck right up on us & is next Monday, 14th February!! We know many blokes (and ladies – let’s not generalise here) out there may be a little last minute when it comes to organising a present, but fear not, you still have plenty of time to order from BasketsGalore. We will be dispatching all your Valentines Gifts on Thursday 10th & Friday 11th February, as the courier companies do not deliver at the weekends. (Well unless you pay a nice big fat surcharge!) So long as you get your order in by 3pm this Thursday 10th February, we will post your gift off on the next (working) day service for delivery on Monday. So long as they don’t live in the Highlands, Islands or further afield like Europe, as delivery to these areas takes a little longer. And who said Valentine’s Day was just for girls? I always get my boyfriend a little something so he doesn’t feel left out! He annoyingly has his birthday a week later & so I have to...

Calling all chocolate lovers! Over the past couple of weeks we have been beating the winter blues by treating ourselves to some delicious chocolate goodies. Of course it is all in the name of research… as we only want to include the BEST chocolate treats in our new chocolate themed gift baskets! Our ‘ Christmas Chocolate Celebration ’ basket was a big hit in December, so we thought we would update our all year round chocolate gift range & also offer you some new choices. New products include a range called Sugar n’ Spice from Ashbourne Foods. They had lots of yummy items to choose from, but after some careful taste testing we have picked out Belgian Chocolate Shortbread Biscuit Bites, Intensely Chocolate Flapjack & the Seriously Fruity Flapjack. Asher’s Baking Co. produce the delicious, freshly baked chocolate chip cake we include and the luxurious caramel shortbread biscuits. My mouth is watering typing this! Ballyshiel’s Exquisite Chocolate Sauce & Chocolate Spreads add ...

January really isn’t the best of months for a lot of people. After the Christmas & New Year festivities have finished it is back to the daily grindstone, with what seems like nothing to look forward to. I've recently noticed a lot of friends & colleagues starting to book holidays or trips away. This winter also lead to a lot of flu going around. Almost everyone seemed to be inflicted with some strain of sickness or the cold. Pay Day has also been a long time coming, but we are almost there now! At least the snow & ice have stayed away for a while. January is so bad in fact that ‘Blue Monday’ occurs! Blue Monday is meant to be the most depressing day of the year according to psychologists. This date allegedly falls on the Monday of the last full week of January. So it was the 19th January in 2000 & the 18th January in 2010. There has been some confusion over the date in 2011 with some claiming it was on 17th January 2011, while others say Blue Monday was on 24th Janu...

Happy 2011 & a big thank you to all our customers for shopping with BasketsGalore last year & throughout the years! Christmas 2010 was certainly a challenge as we experienced some of the most extreme weather conditions ever faced across the UK & Ireland. The snow, ice & sub-zero temperatures experienced throughout December grounded flights, closed rail links and left traffic at a standstill. Read more here . At BasketsGalore we managed to keep dispatching all your Christmas gifts , despite nearly getting snowed in on a couple of occasions. A Thunder-Snow storm hit (a thunder & lightning storm with snow rather than rain – a rare phenomenon apparently) & we had to dig our cars out to get home (pictures to follow soon!) Some of our suppliers couldn’t reach our premises to deliver new stock, so we had to greet them at the top of the road & carry boxes through the snow. Obviously after we dispatch our gift baskets, they need to be delivered to the end recipient b...