Look, we’ve all been there. Everybody has been in a situation where they meant to plan ahead and order gifts early and then…the clock just ran out on you. It happens. The calendar did what it always does in December — it vanished overnight.
Running out of time doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten to appreciate your people. It just means you’re human. And thankfully, thoughtful gifting doesn’t require months of prep. With the right strategy, a last-minute gift can still feel intentional, personal, and genuinely meaningful.
Focus on the How, Not the What
Start by choosing items that can be personalized quickly. Successories has a huge selection of unique employee gifts you can put your own stamp on, and that alone makes an enormous difference.
Adding an employee’s name, a specific achievement, or a short, engraved message instantly elevates the gift from “generic” to “you actually see me.” It’s the fastest shortcut to intentionality when you’re pressed for time.
Handwritten Note, Anyone?
Once the gift arrives, take just a minute or two to add a handwritten note.
It doesn’t have to be comparable to a Shakespearean sonnet and it doesn’t have to be super clever, or even be a display of epic penmanship. A simple message like “I appreciate the way you handled the project last month” or “Your energy makes this team better” goes further than anything you could buy.
People hold onto handwritten notes far longer than they keep the box a gift came in. That small touch is what transforms a last-minute purchase into something they’ll remember.
Take Advantage of Fast Shipping Options
And if the clock is really working against you? Fast-ship options are your friend.
Many of Successories’ most popular items are specifically stocked for quick turnaround, which means you can look effortless even when you’re scrambling behind the scenes. The recipient never needs to know that the gift was picked after a frantic check of the shipping calendar.
People don’t tend to remember whether a gift was planned weeks in advance. They remember whether it felt personal. Whether it acknowledged something real about them. Whether it showed that their work (and their presence) actually matters.
So yeah, things got a little crazy there toward the end. It happens. But even when it does, you can still come through like a rock star.
Your team won’t see a “last-minute gift.” They’ll see appreciation that showed up exactly when it was needed.