Do gift with purchases entice you to purchase?

I can’t recall an occasion where I made a purchase because of the gift with purchase. I’ll make a purchase where I get a gift card back or something like that, but if it’s a makeup bag or some travel-sized products… I don’t think I have (not intentionally, at least).

— Christine

18 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Kim Avatar

Only if I am running low on a staple like face cleanser. Although, once Lilly Pulitzer collaborated with EL for a GWP that I wanted but that’s been a few years.

zeezee Avatar

not really. i prefer discounts or lower-priced set items rather than gwp. however, some places do offer very good gwp such as tatcha’s annual new year gift bag which i look forward to.

Ana Maria Avatar

Sometimes, they do entice me. But this happens only when the gift with purchase is either a product I wanted to buy at some time, either a product I tried before and liked (especially when it’s a mini that I can take when traveling), either a product I know I can gift to someone. And it also happens mostly when I already wanted to make a purchase from that store in the near future.
I’ll also admit I made Sephora purchases of small things I needed somewhere in the near-middle future just because there was a great item as point perk reward or in the offer section 😆 That’s how I get re-fills on the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer (mini), I tried out most of Drunk Elephant, Sunday Rilley and Peter Thomas Roth skincare products I was interested in as mini.

AJ Avatar

I’m not interested in most GWP items. I got rid of SO MANY makeup bags when I moved because of my former Ipsy subscription and Sephora GWPs… I kept a few that I liked and still use, but honestly, how many makeup bags does one really need?

I did order from Sydney Grace when they had that GWP of the pretty green eye shadow bundle, and I have been very happy with that and the shadows I purchased to meet the order minimum for the gift. That was something I would have purchased on my own for sure.

Frozendiva Avatar

It depends on the gift.

There aren’t many GWPs left in Canada. Mainly the Bay and Shoppers Drug Mart. No Nordstrom in my city. I average 3-4 gifts per year.

Turn-offs for me include the increasing ‘spend’ threshold. If I have to spend $85-100 to get a cheap gift with stuff I won’t use, I pass. If it’s maybe $50, I might be more interested. Another turn-off is the ‘step-up’ gift where you have to spend even more. Plus, if you don’t pre-order, the chance of you getting the more expensive bonus gift is low – not enough stock ordered. I am offended and feel a bit gouged if I have to spend a lot of money for stuff I don’t want. It is also offensive that some brands tend to push what is in the warehouse that needs to sell and you go to buy something you actually want and it is ‘out of stock’.

The stuff in the gift seems to be basically the same or similar to the gift before it. Same lipstick shades, same eyeshadows, skincare, etc. The bags have become very thin and very cheap (I did some cleaning and found some old GWP bags), some of them smell bad, I don’t really have any use for them. I know I have asked the manager at the counter to pass along to the brand that maybe give a washcloth or something instead of a bag.

I suppose one rationale for sometimes getting a GWP is my feeling it is some sort of ‘reward’ for being loyal to a brand, or for spending a certain amount per year on its products. Does it keep me loyal? Nope. The travel sized skincare comes in handy. Until more brands sell the travel type sets, I get a gift or two per year.

I have heard rumours that the GWP will go the way of the dinosaur and more brands will move to a sample-based system for purchases.

M Avatar

I find it really frustrating that brands always hide behind the “depending on availability”. No, if you advertised this, in this day and age, your stock should support it. If it influences my purchasing decision, it needs to be included.

Jessica Avatar

The last one that enticed me was Sokoglam giving away a facial roller if your purchase was $135 after the discount. I was in the market for a facial roller so that offer peaked my interest. However, I do try not to purchase things that I do not need, so while it was enticing, if I truly wasn’t interested in the items I purchased, I wouldn’t have padded my cart for it.

But things like bags and deluxe samples do not move me; especially, if I know I won’t use it.

Deborah S. Avatar

In most cases, no. I find that gifts with purchase are frequently products that I wouldn’t buy either because I wouldn’t wear them or they aren’t in a formula or shade that appeals to me. I don’t care for getting mascara samples since I have a gazillion of them and don’t use any of them. In recent years, I can’t remember a time when I purchased a product because of the gift. Back in the 70’s I frequently purchased EL products because they gave you this huge makeup set that I would then give to my mom and sister. Neither loves makeup but they both wear it and they don’t buy it because it is out of their budget. But over the past few years, neither has been wearing much at all. My mom who is 83 just puts a little lipstick or gloss on and calls it a day. My sister may apply blush and lipstick if she has time.

Lesley Avatar

Before there was Sephora and I bought makeup in department stores and when there still were a lot of department stores around, I never bought anything unless there was a gift involved. I wore a lot of Lancôme and Clinique in those days so it worked out well. My friends and I shopped together and traded off what we didn’t want, although no one ever wanted those pink Clinique lipsticks. We would keep the purchases as close to the minimum as possible so that we could buy something else for more gifts when the next department store had an offering. They came around twice a year and between Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, B. Altman, etc., it was quite a haul. It’s all different now, and I don’t shop in department stores or from those brands, but for me, the spell remains.

Frozendiva Avatar

That was me many years ago. I’d buy X at one department store, wait til the next store had its gift, etc. I did also buy some stuff at non-gift times. The gifts kept my stash of eye makeup remover steady, skincare, mascara samples, etc. at a nice level. Holt Renfrew had the Saks or Neiman Marcus gift and that was a really good gift with a nice bag. What I didn’t use and still don’t use today goes to the holiday women’s shelter drive for toiletries and makeup and such.

Eileen Avatar

I’m not in the least bit enticed by a GWP. More often than not they consist of things that don’t interest me and I end up passing them on. If there is something I want or need, I purchase it whether or not there is a gift associated with it.

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!