Retirement can feel like taking down the Christmas decorations. It’s nostalgic and emotional, but it also marks the beginning of a new season. No matter what led up to this point, retirement is a huge milestone that should be marked with an appreciation gift. That’s why we felt the need to make a curated list of our top retirement gifts for employees.
The real question is: What says “good luck in your retirement” without saying “good riddance”? We can help you walk the fine line between personal and professional, balancing good taste and usefulness to give unforgettable retirement gifts for employees.
Need to Skim? Key Takeaways
- A great retirement gift should express appreciation and wish someone well for the future. It should be both personal and useful.
- While group retirement gifts work well in smaller teams, HR or management typically handles the gift-giving for larger organizations.
- Imprint Engine takes the guesswork out of the gifting process. We help you source top-quality retirement gifts that people will truly appreciate.
Table of Contents
10 Fantastic Retirement Gift Ideas
#1 An Etched Cabernet
Toast to a happy retirement with a specially engraved bottle of cabernet! The full-bodied flavor of the wine is a great salute to the long, rich career of the retiree you’re celebrating. Whether they drink the wine or not, the bottle is the real selling point with a painted, deep etching of your logo and a special message.
#2 Timeless Crystalware
You know those fancy crystalware decanters and drink sets you see in movies and TV shows? People don’t always think of buying those kinds of things for themselves, which is why they make excellent retirement gifts! Our partners at J. Charles help you give a gift that’ll be proudly displayed and used for a quiet drink and holiday parties.
#3 Sophisticated Signing
Writing feels effortless with a smooth, dreamy pen in hand. Rollerball pens like the Waterman Expert leave a fine line without the need for hard pressure or scribbling to get the ink flowing. We know you know the struggle, and now whoever gets one won’t ever have to again.
#4 The Perfect Roast
A good grill lasts for a lifetime, putting roasty, toasty meats on the menu for the whole family. Our partners at HPG Brands supply this customizable Blackstone pellet-burning grill with Bluetooth connectivity. Control the temperature and timing at the touch of a button to get an even char. Good food is worth the effort, and this grill makes it even better.
#5 Clean Cuts
Another winner from HPG Brands, this is an elegant, expansive set of kitchen knives that makes cooking a breeze. It also happens to be on Oprah’s favorite things list for 2023 – and for good reason! Kitchen knives are a great retirement gift because they give the retiree the tools to make awesome meals at home, a hobby they’ll have a lot more time for now.
#6 Quicker Recovery
One of the keys to a happy retirement is staying active, but it’s hard to stay motivated when you’re dealing with aches, pain, and soreness from exercising. It’s no miracle cure, but the Theragun PRO uses percussive massage – AKA pressure and vibration – to help you recover more quickly after exercise and activity. It’s a gift that shows you’re looking out for their long-term health and well-being.
#7 Living Beauty
Before you start protesting giving a plant as a gift, we promise this one is way less work than a pet. Bamboo is hardy stuff that’s probably more difficult to kill than it is to keep alive! Our friends at Bloomscape have paired this large, healthy bamboo with a beautiful stone pot. With its air-purifying properties and resilient nature, bamboo makes a wonderful indoor plant.
#8 Superior Softness
Make home feel as luxurious as a hotel with a super soft, SUPER fluffy robe. This chenille lounge robe from our partners at Kashwere is lush and magnificent, but machine-washable. Wear it daily without worrying too much about pet hair, coffee spills, makeup smudges, or breakfast crumbs.
#9 Effortless Overnights
One of the worst parts of traveling is deciding what bag to take with you. Our friends at Troubadour have made the decision a lot easier with this all-in-one travel bag. It’s sleek, comfortable in the hand, and perfectly sized to use as a carry-on. Throw in the essentials and enjoy traveling in your free time to kick off retirement!
#10 Smart Assistance
Remember those old sci-fi movies with the glasses that reveal all the world’s secrets? These Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses from Ray-ban are a step into the future. With AI tech to help you translate, interpret, and learn more about whatever you’re looking at, these glasses add context to the world without taking you out of the moment. Plus, they also look great on your face.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Retirement Gift
Retirement gifts are unique in that they’re marking a huge moment. Although it’s similar to finding a good holiday gift or thank you gift, there’s an extra element of appreciation you need to put into it. In our experience, you need to focus on making the gift personal to the receiver while sticking to your budget.
The Employee’s Personality
Gifts aren’t a one-size-fits-all deal. The best retirement gifts are tailored to the retiree. The point of a retirement gift is to show appreciation for years – maybe even decades – of hard work. If you don’t know the retiree well enough, talk to someone who does and make sure the gift you’re choosing is something they’ll actually be happy to receive.
Retirement is a mixed bag. See if you can feel out the mood of whoever’s retiring to see if they’re more excited, scared, sad, or something else. Let this play into whatever you’re getting them, matching the mood and giving them something to look forward to.
Avoid Cliches or Impersonal Gifts
If you don’t know someone well, shoot for a gift that still feels like you bought it specifically for them. Meaningful retirement gifts should be more on the personal side, even if you don’t know exactly what they like. Instead of trying to make use of leftover merch from the last corporate event, take a bit more time to make the gift feel intentional and warm.
Bring this into the presentation as well if you can. A handwritten note, a compilation of big moments they’ve contributed to, specific things you appreciate about them, and other personal touches make an impact and show you’ve been paying attention.
Budget
Corporate gifting – including retirement gifts for employees – is part of your promotional budget. Retirement gifts are a form of employee appreciation and morale boosting. It’s nice to have your guidelines set up ahead of time so you know what kind of budget you have to work with whenever it comes up.
As far as how much you want to budget for custom retirement gifts, it all depends on the size of your organization and what you normally spend on gifts. The lower range is anywhere from $50 – $100 while the higher range is closer to $500 – $600. It’s good to set a dollar amount for planning, but we can help you make a retirement gift feel both personal and meaningful at any price point.
Who Purchases The Retirement Gift?
Who’s on the hook for buying retirement gifts? We’ll save you from going through the whole “he said, she said” routine. You need to set the expectations upfront. A policy will help you make sure you keep the important practice of gifting without making it too stressful.
There are a few common practices for giving retirement gifts that broadly fall into 3 categories.
- HR Gifts: companies may purchase retirement gifts through HR. This means the company pays for the gift in its entirety.
- Group Gifts: some retirement gifts are organized and paid for by coworkers and the company together. Peers may be asked to chip in a set amount, usually between $5 – $25 each, which will be used to purchase a gift they agreed on.
- Management Gifts: going along with the moniker or gifting down not up, retirement gifts may be paid for by the managers or direct reports for whoever’s retiring, especially if they work in an upper management position.
Find what works for your company and make a habit of it.
Let’s Create Memorable Gifts Together
Retirement doesn’t come around every day. Celebrate this important milestone with a gift worthy of it.
Imprint Engine helps you invest in your employee morale by purchasing and customizing top-notch retirement gifts for your employees. We work with suppliers around the globe with catalogs full of incredibly high-quality, functional gifts people love to get.
Make an impact and show your appreciation with a gift that says “thank you” and really means it.
Start creating the perfect retirement gift today!
We can’t wait to connect with you.