Beyond the Bow: Trendy Gift Ideas for the Trickiest Recipients with Stock Plays to Further Prosperity

No matter if you’re searching for last-minute Hanukkah gifts or working through those “hard to buy for” people this Christmas, figuring out what to get is one of the hardest parts of the holidays. What makes this task even harder is when the person you are buying for is difficult. “Difficult people” already own everything or are a certain “type” who is hard to understand unless you both belong to the same cult.

Before you go all “Bah-Humbug!”, PMV flies in on its one-horse open sleigh and saves your holiday (stay tuned for our rap album drop – great stocking stuffer). We’ve identified four kinds of “difficult people” and paired that personality type with this season’s trendy gift idea.

Finished shopping? Keep reading for stock picks related to each of our gifts. If played right, it could help you pay for them.

The Jingle Listener  

Soon after we’ve all gone digital, created our perfect playlist and wrapped our heads around the idea that we can play any song, at any time, vinyl records have made a comeback. If you have that Music Junkie friend who either enjoys the nostalgia of listening to the record crackle or thinks vinyl is as cool as his millennia man-bun, a trendy turntable is the gift to make them jingle all the way.

Sonos, Inc. (SONO) is selling a slick turntable set that not only provides you quality audio for your vinyl listening but allows you to switch to streaming music, at the touch of a button. The speaker and soundbar seller, recently announced its intention to enter the headphone arena, rivaling market leaders Apple, Sony and Bose. The Sonos headphone model will be set to release as early as April. While the company has traded down ~6% on the year, it’s been up ~40%, over the past month.

Holistic For the Holidays

The Holistic smells like patchouli, only buys organic, can match every essential oil to its therapeutic benefit and believes in the latest crystal healing trends. What do you get these people? If you want to be “hip”, diffusers are the new candle. But if you want to be hip and holistic, an Anthropologie gemstone diffuser is the answer. We didn’t just wrap that gift idea for you, we tied it with a burlap bow.

Anthropologie is owned by the retailer Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) who also famously touts the brand, Free People. Recently, the hip retailer reported strong third quarter results that surpassed estimates and posted record sales while citing a 120% increase in EPS. Additionally, its clothing rental business, Nuuly saw an 86% growth in sales equating to $30M. This was due to a 68% rise in its subscriber base compared to last year. URBN is up ~45% YTD.

Chestnuts, Roasted. Bread, Toasted.

Foodies are some of the bougiest of the bunch and always seem to have every cooking gadget under the hood. If you really want to “wow” them smart kitchen appliances are the new sous vide this year. From smart induction cooking in cast iron to smart dutch oven Instant Pots, these gadgets should have their PhD. If you don’t love your Foodie enough to spend your next paycheck on a Vermicular Cast Iron Induction Cooker, you might consider heading to Kohl’s to get them that Revolution InstaGLO R180 Toaster. All of that jargon for a toaster.

In its recent earnings report, Kohl’s Corporation (KSS) beat quarterly earnings estimates but reported a decline in sales, sending shares falling. However, it’s only down ~3% YTD. The company intends to shift its focus back to brick and mortar stores as its digital business has not produced the desired outcome. We can’t all be trendy.

Frosty the Glowman

Fashionistas and beauty connoisseurs love to follow the “latest look” but unless you are one, finding the right gift for them is not the easiest task. A nice handbag or make-up pallet could do the trick, but let’s up the ante. It’s 2023 where even toasters sound like a product you’d find in a Diagon Alley shop that sells magic wands and Nimbus 2000’s.

Mini fridges are no longer only for the lazy food and beverage monger. That’s right. Just when you thought our toaster jokes were funny, the mini fridge is now a cosmetic and skincare essential because cold face cream is the new room temperature version. Frigidaire is selling its compact fridge with a Bluetooth speaker. Extra cool points for this one. Electrolux (ELUXY) is the Swedish appliance manufacturer, retailer and parent company of the Frigidaire brand. In May, the company announced a new partnership with Freightos Ltd (CRGO), to increase air freight efficiency. The company is down ~30% YTD.

This season we hope to have made it onto your “nice” list as we’ve transformed the tedious duty of finding the right gift for the difficult person into an easy task. Once you know what to get someone, gift giving becomes the best part of the holiday, especially when you nail it. So, pour yourself that glass of eggnog, get to wrapping and spread that trendy holiday cheer.

PRISM MarketView wishes everyone this season, a Happy Holiday!