They are typically located in popular tourist areas such as rural market towns and seaside locations, and increasingly trade online. They face considerable competition from a variety of other retailers such as department stores, greeting card retailers and online gift suppliers.

Some gift shops specialise in supplying niche giftware that is not widely available elsewhere, such as locally inspired gifts, artisan crafts or ethnic products and artisan food hampers. Others specialise in particular categories of gifts, such as ornaments, jewellery or candles.

This profile provides information about starting up and running a gift shop. It describes the skills required, the training available, the current market trends and the key trading issues. It also explains the legislation that must be complied with and provides sources of further information and support.