What Favorite Gifts does

Favorite Gifts B.V. is a Netherlands-headquartered family-owned distributor and wholesaler of branded promotional products, operating under five sub-brands (Van Helden, Giving Europe, Eurogifts, Van Heijster, and Clipper Interall) across seven European countries. The company supplies more than 5,000 unique promotional SKUs from stock and processes over 100,000 custom print orders annually, with in-house printing facilities in Bolesławiec, Poland providing quality control and rapid delivery across the Benelux, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. Its proprietary internal system, FavorIT, supports sales, HR, administration, and management workflows, while the Impression brand under Giving Europe is positioned as the first fully certified promotional-articles brand globally.

The business is run on a B2B wholesale and distribution model, selling customisable branded merchandise (drinkware, pens, bags, textiles, etc.) to thousands of corporate customers for marketing campaigns, employee gifting, and brand-awareness activities. Revenue is generated primarily through product sales with an embedded custom-printing service layer (transaction fees plus professional services for printing and finishing). Go-to-market is sales-led, with dedicated account managers in each operating country, supported by brand-owned e-commerce storefronts, product catalogues, and trade-fair participation. The company reports a 2023 employee engagement score of 8 and has built a sustainability stack including EcoVadis Silver (2024), FSC certification, amfori BSCI membership, UN Global Compact Netherlands affiliation, and Dopper Wave pledge membership.

Governance remains under the van Helden family since founding in 1965 by Adri van Helden, with Arno van Helden serving as CEO since 2020. The leadership team includes Chief Commercial Officer Lieke Duijmelings, COO Norbert Koop (joined 2018), and board member Michiel Warners (responsible for finance, HR, IT, data, systems, and legal). Operations span 11 offices and production locations with 450+ employees, and more than 98% of products are certified for quality and safety. No external institutional investors, PE ownership, or public listing are disclosed.

Name

Favorite Gifts

Legal name

Favorite Gifts B.V.

Website

https://favoritegifts.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Favorite Gifts B.V. is a Netherlands-based family-owned B2B distributor and wholesaler of branded promotional products, supplying 5,000+ SKUs and 100,000+ custom print orders annually to thousands of corporate customers across seven European countries via five sub-brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Promotional Products Distribution

NAICS

Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420), Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Retailers (4594), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942)

SIC

Wholesale-Durable Goods, Nec (5099), Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190), Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399)

akta.pro primary industry

Branded Merchandise & Corporate Gifts (BPAFAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Greeting Cards, Gift Wrap & Party Paper Goods Distribution (CRAOALAJ), Gift Sourcing & Procurement (Local & Online) (HSACANAB), Seasonal & Holiday Gifts & Decor Retail (CRALAJAD)

Keywords

• Promotional products distribution
• Branded merchandise
• Corporate gifts wholesale
• Custom printed merchandise
• Promotional items supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Tiel

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Promotional Products Sales: Wholesale distribution of promotional products (branded merchandise, promotional gifts) to B2B customers. Products are purchased directly from producers and often printed with customer branding. Revenue generated from product sales, with own printing facilities adding value through customization.
2. Custom Printing Services: In-house printing capabilities in Poland for customizing promotional products with customer logos and branding, processed through nearly 100,000 print orders per year

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Favorite Gifts B.V. is a B2B wholesale distributor of promotional products (branded merchandise, corporate gifts) to thousands of companies across Europe. The company stocks over 5,000 unique promotional products sourced from producers and offers custom printing services through its in-house printing facility in Bolesławiec, Poland, processing more than 100,000 print orders annually. Operations span seven European countries under multiple sub-brands including Van Helden, Giving Europe, Eurogifts, Van Heijster, and Clipper Interall.

Product overview

Favorite Gifts operates as a multi-brand promotional products distributor and wholesaler, combining five distinct sub-brands (Van Helden, Giving Europe, Eurogifts, Van Heijster, and Clipper Interall) under one corporate umbrella. The company offers over 5,000 unique promotional products directly from stock, with in-house printing facilities in Bolesławiec, Poland enabling custom branding and fast delivery. Van Helden serves the Dutch and Belgian markets, Giving Europe operates as the wholesale division with global reach including the Impression brand (first fully certified promotional brand), Eurogifts focuses on Belgian and French markets, Van Heijster provides full-service customer support, and Clipper Interall specializes in sustainable European-sourced products. The brands collectively process over 100,000 print orders annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ print orders per year delivered with precision and care
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• amforicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive membership in amfori (BSCI) enabling social compliance monitoring and audit capabilities across the supply chain. Helps map needs and develop solutions for sustainable working conditions with suppliers.
• United Nations Global Compact NetherlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of UN Global Compact Netherlands, supporting the principles of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. Aligns with SDG goals 8, 12, 13, 14, and 16.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)coreOthersObtained FSC certification enabling offering of products made from responsibly managed forests. Provides customers option to make sustainable choices.
• EcoVadiscoreOthersReceived EcoVadis Silver rating demonstrating sustainability performance in environmental and social responsibility areas.
• DopperminorOthersSigned Dopper Wave pledge committing to eliminate single-use plastic bottles and promote reusable bottles at offices.
• Ellen MacArthur FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing circular economy principles for waste management policy, inspired by the Foundation's circular economy framework.
• Greenhouse Gas ProtocolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing GHG Protocol principles for measuring and reducing CO2 emissions, aligned with Paris Climate Agreement targets.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves1 record

Direct peers

• 4imprint Group: Public UK/US-listed direct marketer of promotional products. Closest publicly traded peer; benchmark for online promotional distribution economics and a key competitive threat.
• HALO: US-headquartered global distributor of promotional merchandise with branded and custom assortments. Comparable in B2B promotional distribution, account management and customization capabilities.
• midocean: Netherlands-headquartered, family-owned promotional products distributor with pan-European reach. Most direct comparable by geography, business model, customer base and scale to Favorite Gifts.
• National Pen: US-based direct marketer of customizable promotional products, particularly writing instruments (the original product Adri van Helden started with). Comparable product focus and B2B customization model.
• Polyconcept (PCNA): Global promotional products supplier (parent of Leed's, Bullet, etc.). Comparable scale, multi-brand promotional product portfolio, and direct competition in the enterprise promotional products category.
• Brand Addition: European promotional merchandise company offering branded merchandise and custom sourcing. Comparable B2B promotional products distribution with sustainability positioning.
• Inspirators Group: European promotional merchandise group formed through consolidation of regional distributors. Comparable multi-brand promotional product distribution model and pan-European footprint.
• PF Concept: One of Europe's largest promotional product suppliers/distributors with own production and global wholesale reach. Directly comparable in product breadth, B2B wholesale model and European distribution footprint.

Others

• amfori: Industry association for social compliance in supply chains. Partner of Favorite Gifts; an ecosystem enabler and not a competitor, but representative of the ESG/compliance infrastructure that increasingly shapes this category.

Broad incumbents

• BIC Group: Global writing instruments and lighters manufacturer. Adjacent in the pen product category (Favorite Gifts started with branded pens) but much broader consumer-goods portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Favorite Gifts