Gift giving is a custom that is pleasant and delightful but complicated at the same time. While no one really minds getting gifts, it can be quite difficult to buy gifts that the receiver will actually use, enjoy or appreciate, especially if you don’t know the other individual personally and are not clear on their preferences, likes, and dislikes. Aura Gift Essentials was launched to tackle this particular universal dilemma.

Launched about two months ago, Aura Gift Essentials is the prime (and currently the only running) business venture of Himalayan Merchandising. Priya Bhandari, co-founder and CEO of Himalayan Merchandising, was working as the business development head at a media house when she realized she wanted do something on her own. “I wanted to create my own brand and run my own company. I started off by branding Aura more like a fashion label because, at that time, that was where I saw the company heading. I have always been interested in fashion so I thought operating a fashion brand was something I could do,” she says.

The signature Aura jacket that was released in early January marked the launch of Aura as a brand. Back then, the brand was named Aura The Collection. This jacket was an instant hit. Bhandari mentions that the jacket quickly went out of stock and that they are still getting orders for it. It was during this time that she felt the need for a company that could handle gift giving. As this was a relatively new idea in the Nepali market, Bhandari decided to rework on the theme and purpose of Aura as a brand.

“So many people were opening up fashion labels and lines but nobody addressed the gift giving industry. There are a number of shops and concept stores in Kathmandu that sell cute, aesthetic, and functional items but you still wouldn’t know whether the person receiving the gifts would like them,” claims Bhandari adding that the idea initially struck her when she found that majority of the jackets sold were actually presented as gifts to someone else. 

“So many customers stated that they actually bought the jackets to gift it to someone close to them. They did not know what would be a suitable gift to give and since the jacket was designed in an androgynous silhouette, it had been their go-to item for gift giving,” she says. And so she conceptualized Aura to tackle this issue. Bhandari states that the main objective of her brand right now is to make the gifting culture easier.

Although Aura Gift Essentials sells products including cakes, bouquets, chocolates that are essential to different kinds of celebration, it’s their gift boxes that are a big hit among their customers. These gift boxes are created with a specific theme or for a particular target group and include items that will be useful to the receiver. Currently, they have approximately 16 different gift boxes and are preparing a few more gift boxes to be launched within a month or so. Bhandari mentions that all these gift boxes are up for customization requests and customers can build a completely new gift box from scratch too.

Bhandari mentions that she frequently gets questioned about the inspiration for her gift boxes and her straightforward answer to these queries is, “Mainly through our customers and their requests. I’m constantly searching for new ideas to upgrade Aura. And when customers mention things they want added to their gift boxes, I start thinking about how I can include those items in a gift box and what kind of crowd it will cater to.” 

Aura has also proven to be quite beneficial for the local vendors of Kathmandu. Since the business buys products including the cakes and bouquets from different self sustained (and mostly startup) brands, this collaboration has promoted those brands among Aura’s clientele too. The brands Aura collaborates with include NANA, French Bakery and Crave for cakes, Bisou Bruler for chocolates, and a local flower shop for the flowers and bouquets.

The Aura team currently includes Ratib Hussain and Farhin Banu besides Bhandari both of whom look after the logistics of the brand. Bhandari also mentions that she will be hiring a few people from the current batch of trainee interns within a month because the workload for Aura is also increasing with the gradual increase of the brand’s reach and popularity. She claims to be grateful to Hussain and Banu as both of them have worked tirelessly to establish the brand in the Nepali market. She also feels that her degree in business has helped her manage her brand effectively.

While Bhandari has not set any hard and fast goals or plans for Aura, she believes the brand will constantly be evolving. “I get ideas for Aura all the time and since we are still in the setting up phase, the brand has a long way to go before we settle on one particular thing,” she says adding that currently she is in the process of trying out different things that can be used to shape the brand better. For the immediate future, Aura is looking to launch a clothing line as well as set up its own showroom. “Our office space in Pulchowk cannot double as an outlet so setting up a proper place is our number one priority right now,” concludes Bhandari. 

Love 360 gift box
This gift box incorporates a little bit of everything your special someone might need. It includes products like a mini Jack Daniels premium whiskey, three pieces of Aura cupcakes, a mini mousse cake, two pieces of artisan handmade chocolates and a rose packaged in a handcrafted cardboard box made by Nepali artisans.

Through Thick and Thin gift box
The Through Thick and Thin gift box was designed for friendship day but you can give it to anyone on any occasion. It includes a Falful drink, a selfie stick, two pieces of artisan homemade chocolates, a pair of friendship bracelets, a mug, a light up pen, titaura and pustakari and flowers packaged in a multi-purpose customizable gift box.

Cakes
Bhandari claims that the cakes offered by Aura are all good quality and extremely delicious. She lists the Sprinkle Explosion and Irresistible Fraffle as her personal favorites. The Sprinkle Explosion is a cake in the flavor of your choice with sprinkles on top to give it an extra sweet edge. The Irresistible Fraffle is Aura’s signature cake with a base of your choice and a waffle cone topping that is filled with fresh fruits.

Bouquets
Among the 12 beautiful and unique bouquets currently listed on Aura’s website, Blessed Blooms, Ek Muthi Maya, and Crimson Majesty are the three that stand out. A bunch of baby’s breath and carnations in shades of pink make up the blessed bloom bouquet which shows how blessed you feel to have the receiver (of the bouquet) in your life. Ek Muthi Maya includes rose buds, angel’s breath, and roses in red and pink to express the ‘muthi bhari maya’ you feel for the receiver, and the Crimson Majesty consists of a bunch of carnations, saffron jute, ferns, and the essence of elegance wrapped in crimson.

 
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