THE FISHING PAPER     The Canterbury Edition   May 2008 Issue 7

GIFT BOX PERSONAL TOUCH     By Daryl Crimp

Annette was more than a little surprised with her 'Crimpy Special' from Apex Gift Boxes! There's an old adage that if you have a problem, don't play with monkeys - go straight to the top. It is a fitting analogy that matches the name of Christchurch based gift box business Apex Gift Boxes Ltd, because they have positioned themselves to provide peak service and top quality to customers, globe wide. Despite attracting international customers, web-based Apex Gift Boxes Ltd is very much a home-grown business with a down to earth approach to tackling challenges and meeting customers' needs.

The company was intially started to service the corporate market, but zesty businesswoman Diane Dick, bought Apex Gift Boxes four years ago with a mind to realising its full potential and immediately expanded into the retail and residential market. Unlike traditional retail outlets, Apex has no shopfront but is web-based, hence the reason people from all over the world buy gift boxes for friends and 'relies' back home in NZ. This by no means makes Apex Gift Boxes impersonal, because Diane is anything but - she can chew the fat with the best of them! Diane welcomes phone as well as internet orders and I quietly get the feeling, that the personal touch is much more her domain. She revels in the challenge of personalising the gift boxes to suit the recipient's interests and personality, stating that no challenge is too big. 

"We even put pictures of people and their catch in their box and we don't do tacky gift cards," Diane said. Instead, an appropriate and very personal message is lasered onto a message decal inside the lid of the box, making it part of the package.

Note too, that there is no reference to old fashioned 'gift baskets', because 'fuddy-duddy' is out when it comes to Apex's modern approach to bringing a little light back into people's lives. Humour is important too.

"The boxes are stylish, smart and exude an air of mystery, anticipation and surprise," says Diane, "and they come to suit any occasion and personality."  From the traditional birthdays, weddings, engagements, house-warming, stag parties, Mother's Day, Father's Day, sympathy, sorry, thanks mate, new baby, romance occasions and Christmas. Diane delights in pushing the boundaries and relishes the opportunity to come up with a 'box to knock your socks off'.

Starting with a spend of around $30, Apex Gift Boxes range from the ordinary to the electric and while many still focus on food and beverage themes, Diane has expanded her range to include pamper products, boutique wines and a host of other products. "We aim to source any request and work within people's budgets; we spend well for them!" Diane stressed.

With a name that has connotations of a mountain range, Apex Gift Boxes is not all about 'girlie' things, but in fact, has developed a strong range of masculine products, including fishing boxes, hunting boxes and sports themes such as rugby and golf boxes - anything really. "We cater well for men," says Diane, "so if a bloke you know has caught his biggest fish, shot a rutting stag or thinks he's done something clever - surprise him with a bloke's box from Apex Gift Boxes!"

Oh, and they'll even do Mother's Day gifts! - so you can fish all day and take the shopping hassle away.

Contact Diane: 021 111 7749
03 322 8614
fax 03 322 8613  
info@apexgiftboxes.co.nz 
www.apexgiftboxes.co.nz