Canstar Blue’s online gift delivery review has seen online gift delivery services such as Easyflowers, Haigh’s Chocolates, Gift Basket, Edible Blooms and more, compared on their gift range, ease of site navigation, delivery reliability & timing, product accuracy, customer service, value for money and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
From celebrating birthdays and farewells to company wins and even the odd ‘sorry I forgot’ days, there’s no better way to show someone you care than with a nice gift. Just ask the one in four (26%) of our survey respondents who said they would buy an online gift again and who bought a gift for a special occasion.
In 2021, Canstar Blue surveyed more than 1,100 Aussie consumers about their experiences with purchasing pressies through an online hamper or gift delivery service in the last 12 months. Survey respondents rated services on a bunch of factors, including the range of gifts available, ease of site navigation, the delivery reliability and timing, product accuracy, customer service, value for money and overall satisfaction. The idea is to give you an idea of what to expect from the websites compared, to take the guesswork out of your next gift purchase decision.
This year, 16 online gift delivery services featured in the results but only one rated best for overall satisfaction ─ Easyflowers! It also earned five-star reviews for its range of gifts on offer and ease of site navigation.
Here are the best websites for online gift delivery in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s latest review:
Easyflowers bloomed in our latest online gift delivery review, rating best for overall satisfaction with five stars. Meanwhile, Haigh’s Chocolates, Gift Basket, Edible Blooms, The Hamper Emporium, Interflora, 1300Flowers, The Chocolate Box and A Little Luxury followed behind on four stars overall. The remaining online gift delivery services rounded up the scores on three stars each for overall satisfaction.
But that’s not to say Easyflowers was the only gift delivery service to impress Aussies. Fast Flowers took the crown for value for money, while The Chocolate Box got the top score for customer service. Edible Blooms similarly wrapped up with five stars for product accuracy, alongside Haigh’s Chocolates, plus for its delivery reliability.
When it came to the range of gifts on offer, Sarah’s Flowers was the only online gift delivery service that could match Easyflower’s five-star rating. There were additionally several online gift delivery sites that garnered full marks for ease of site navigation, including Edible Blooms, Interflora and Fast Flowers. Read on to find out more about the different online gift delivery services compared.
With a quarter (26%) of our survey respondents using online gift delivery services for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions, it’s important to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck to avoid any disappointments (and not to mention embarrassment). On average, Australians spend $113 on online gift orders, our research found, so it’s a wise move to shop around. And it seems this may be the case for the 14% of respondents who said they’ve tried more than one gift delivery service (14%).
When we asked respondents about their main reasons for buying gifts online, here’s what they said:
If there’s one way to say “I love you”, a 24K gold-plated preserved rose from Easyflowers is probably a good place to start. Otherwise, there are always pamper packages with bath salts and sparkling wine, as well as fresh floral arrangements to woo someone over. You can also find a variety of hampers to suit different occasions, including wine hampers, food hampers, and hampers for new parents.
Easyflowers offers a fairly affordable range of items compared to some gift delivery services, with options starting from just $30 and reaching upwards of $90. This online gift delivery service delivers Australia-wide and orders can be made from around the globe. Delivery fees vary depending on the postcode, the type of gift, and the time at which you need the gift delivered.
Haigh’s Chocolates is one of Australia’s oldest family-owned chocolate makers, offering a sweet selection of boxed chocolates, Easter hampers, chocolate confectionery, loose chocolates, and artisan chocolate. There are also chocolate novelties, blocks, and bars. While physical stores are located in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and Canberra, the company does offer Australia-wide shipping. You can also send orders to Australia from overseas. A flat rate of $15 applies for each delivery.
Giftbasket.com.au packs up a wide variety of hampers and baskets. This includes everything from fruit platters and pamper sets with prosecco and candles, to chocolate bouquets, gourmet antipasto and cheese hampers, and ‘new mum’ gifts with baby onesies and stuffed bears. Gift Basket delivers to various locations across Australia, including metropolitans and surrounding areas like Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney and Perth.
Similar to other delivery services, Gift Basket doesn’t send out orders on weekends and any orders placed on Saturday or Sunday will be dispatched on the next business day.
Edible Blooms delivers unique floral arrangements, which include edible flower bouquets that come with donuts, chocolate fruits, as well as beer and wine gift baskets. Edible Blooms also has plenty of classic flower bouquets, too.
Edible Blooms delivers Australia-wide, and you can get free standard delivery for the next business day if your order is over $120. The delivery price can vary depending on where you live. For the same-day delivery to outer metro areas, you will need to cough up $22.95, which is just a little more than those in CBD and neighbouring suburbs ($15.95). Although deliveries for the far outer metro areas of Sydney will have a fee of $49.95. Urgent express deliveries and regional deliveries are the same across the board.
The Hamper Emporium serves a wide selection of packages containing what they claim to be the finest gourmet brands. Some options available include gourmet food and wine gifts, chocolate, beer and cider, pamper sets, and new baby packs. There are also Christmas Hampers, which can carry anything from traditional steamed puddings to Moët Champagne and even Swarovski crystals (swoon). You can get personalised hampers, too! The Aussie-owned and operated company offers free Australia-wide delivery. Orders are said to arrive within two to five business days.
Interflora takes things globally, delivering to 150 countries, such as the UK, US, New Zealand and France. Its product range features mostly floral arrangements, including flower bouquets and baskets. Extras like wine or soft toys can be added to any gift set for a fee. Interflora delivers to most places in Australia and around the world where fresh flowers are available. Orders have a $13 delivery fee, regardless of where you’re sending the gift.
Another popular online gift delivery service that has also featured in our online flower delivery ratings is 1300Flowers. This gift hotline offers plenty of fresh floral bouquets and fruit hampers to suit all types of occasions, with extras like teddy bears, candles, chocolates and alcohol additionally available for each order. Prices usually start from $70 and go above $100, but you can still find a few gems on the website for cheaper. 1300Flowers delivers Australia-wide and same-day delivery is available.
Who doesn’t love chocolate? The team at The Chocolate Box certainly does, whipping up plenty of hampers, baskets, crates, and chocolate gift boxes to choose from. This Australian-owned company has specialised in making confectionaries since 1958, offering a sweet variety of chocolate gifts, truffles, and candy. Expect to fork out anywhere between $54.95 for an Easter gift pack and up to $299.95 for a chunky picnic pack in a reusable thermal bag hamper.
The Chocolate Box offers free shipping for orders over $100, or $50 for customers in certain suburbs in Melbourne. Otherwise, there’s a standard $14.99 shipping fee.
If you prefer to customise your gift, A Little Luxury has a bunch of made-to-order hampers that can be adjusted to make it that extra bit perfect. Some of the goodies up for grabs include wine, champagne, chocolate, pamper sets, books, glassware and items suitable for a fun picnic. Hampers can start from the $40 mark and reach up to $350, but many of these are available for under $100.
A Little Luxury delivers across Australia and a delivery fee applies for each gift. Keep in mind fees vary depending on the size of the gift and where it needs to be delivered.
When Cupid is a little busy on Valentine’s Day, there’s always online gift delivery services like Fast Flowers to save the day. This Aussie-owned and run company works with florists across the country to provide a selection of more than 70 floral arrangements, selling everything from traditional long-stemmed roses to eye-catching Singapore orchids. You can also choose to add extras like teddy bears, balloons, and rose petals. These usually start from $4.95, although you can find some arrangements on special that come with free chocolate and available for 10% off.
Fast Flowers states it delivers pretty much anywhere in Australia, although you can call 1300 FAST FLOWERS if you’re unsure about delivery locations or have other questions about what to get. Same-day delivery is available for orders made before 2pm AEST on weekdays, or 10am AEST on Saturdays. A flat rate of $14.95 for delivery applies.
From hand cream and gardening kits to Gold Class movie tickets and French champagne, Creative Hampers offers a few different options to help mum enjoy a little ‘me time’ and tell dad ‘thanks’ for everything he’s done. Owned and operated by three Aussie women, this online gift delivery service delivers Australia-wide, with free delivery on certain orders. Plus, there’s next-day delivery available for metro areas and same-day delivery for customers in Sydney. Creative Hampers also attaches a barcode to each hamper, so you can track your parcel and follow its progress.
Another online gift delivery service worth checking out is Sarah’s Flowers, which works with several florist partners across Australia to handpick something beautiful. Aside from bouquets and boxed arrangements, Sarah’s Flowers also sinks its teeth into fruit hampers. You can either choose your classic fruit box or select a package with chocolate, wine or both! Sarah’s Flowers states it delivers to most places in Australia. Same-day delivery is available for orders made before 2pm AEST on weekdays or 10am AEST on Saturdays, and a delivery fee of $14.95 will apply.
Roses Only sells a variety of flowers such as gerberas, tulips, seasonal flowers, and of course, roses. There’s also a wide selection of Hampers Only, Fruit Only and Wine Only options. And if a simple floral arrangement or bouquet isn’t enough, you can choose an order that comes with extras like French champagne, wine, teddy bears and chocolates. Roses Only currently delivers to most capital cities, metropolitan areas and regional areas in Australia.
You don’t need to be in the same house as your loved one to treat them to breakfast in bed, with Gourmet Basket offering what you need. Otherwise, you can send a wellness care package to help them fight the sniffles or any of Gourmet Basket’s other baskets and hampers. This can include a variety of spa products, international beers, champagne, coffee, books and yummy treats. Most gift hampers cost around the $100 – $150 mark. Shipping fees vary depending on where you live and the weight of the hamper(s).
For most locations, Gourmet Basket usually delivers between 9am and 5pm the next business day. Heavy hampers (baskets with two or more bottles of wine) can take longer. Gourmet Basket alternatively offers Click & Collect for customers in Sydney.
Described as ‘Australia’s official florist’, Bloomex provides a variety of floral gifts across Australia. This includes bouquets of fresh-cut flowers such as daisies, orchids, roses and mixed bouquets. Otherwise, there are always tons of gift hampers and baskets to scroll through when you’ve got more time to plan. Some options available include fruit hampers, coffee baskets, beer hampers, wine & champagne gift hampers, corporate gift hampers and Lindt gift hampers. Prices usually range between $40 and $100, although you can pick something for cheaper (or more expensive).
Whether it’s swimming with sharks or online coding classes for kids, RedBalloon takes gifting to the next level with a variety of vouchers that make the most of what the country has to offer. It also packs a punch with traditional hampers, loading baskets up with a bunch of goodies like serving platters, craft beers, headphones and jewellery. RedBalloon has more than 5,000 experiences up for grabs across Australia and New Zealand, plus in-store and e-gift cards for more than 4,000 stores.
Buying anything online is always risky, even more so if it’s a gift for someone special. A good intention can quickly turn into disappointment if the gift you ordered doesn’t turn up on time, or looks nothing like its internet description.
If you’re looking for a trusted online gift delivery service, start by reading reviews for different websites. Customer reviews aren’t gospel but can be a good indication of overall satisfaction. Watch for recurring themes in reviews and common observations about the service provider, but don’t get bogged down with the one-off negative review.
There are several online gift delivery services available in Australia, so do your research before handing over your hard-earned money.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s home & lifestyle journalist, Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito. She’s an expert on household appliances, grooming products and all things grocery and shopping. In addition to translating our expert research into consumer-friendly ratings reports, Tahnee spends her time helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services, while highlighting the best deals and anything you need to be aware of.
Online Flower Delivery Reviews
Picture credits: Evgeny Atamnenko/ Shutterstock.com.
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 12,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have purchased a gift through an online hamper and gift delivery service in the last 12 months – in this case, 1,126 people. This includes sites where users can order gifts to be delivered, not online department stores.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
2020