Ryan D. Abood is the President and CEO of GourmetGiftBaskets.com, a nationally recognized eCommerce brand known for delivering handcrafted, high-quality gift baskets. As the visionary behind the company, Ryan transformed a small family tradition into a multi-million-dollar enterprise that has earned repeated recognition on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
Born into a family of entrepreneurs, Ryan was raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, where his parents, David and Trudy Abood, owned and operated Chalifour’s Flowers. It was in that flower shop—alongside his brother Jeff—that Ryan began experimenting with building custom gift baskets for local customers. What started as a side offering quickly revealed itself as a high-demand business opportunity.
In 2002, Ryan officially launched GourmetGiftBaskets.com with a mission to create meaningful, memorable gifting experiences. With a focus on premium ingredients, thoughtful presentation, and unmatched customer service, the company has grown from a home-based startup into an industry leader with a state-of-the-art 106,000-square-foot facility in Exeter, New Hampshire.
Under Ryan’s leadership, the company has also made headlines for setting three Guinness World Records:
- The World’s Largest Cupcake (2009)
- The World’s Largest Cup of Coffee (2010)
- The World’s Largest Cup of Iced Coffee (2010)
These playful achievements reflect the brand’s innovative spirit and willingness to think outside the box—literally and figuratively.
Today, GourmetGiftBaskets.com remains proudly family-run, with Ryan working closely alongside his brother Jeff and mother Trudy. Their shared commitment to quality, creativity, and community continues to drive the company’s growth and success, making it a trusted name in gifting nationwide.
Articles by Ryan Abood:
September 16, 2026
A new report from Gourmet Gift Baskets surveyed 1,139 U.S. mourners about the support they wanted in the first month after a death and the support they received. The two lists barely match: 49% most wanted someone to listen or check in, yet four in ten of them received no call or visit, and remembrance, the second most wanted support, was the least likely need of all to be met. Nearly one in five mourners received no support of any kind. The report traces the gap to guilt — 46% of those asked did not want to burden others — and shows why vague offers fail, why specific offers work, and why a check-in still feels welcome a month or more after the death.
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September 2, 2026
A new report from Gourmet Gift Baskets surveyed 1,139 U.S. mourners, asking each to rate 14 condolence messages based on the loss that affected them most. The simple message "I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm thinking of you" ranked first at 85%, while explanatory phrases like "Everything happens for a reason" (24%) and "You need to move on" (14%) ranked last. The analysis supports a "presence without pressure" model: acknowledge the death, require no reply, offer specific help, and follow up later. It also finds generational and gender divides, with younger adults favoring no-obligation messages and men far more accepting of "stay strong" platitudes than women.
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September 1, 2026
A new report from Gourmet Gift Baskets surveyed 1,139 U.S. mourners and compared people whose most affecting loss was a pet with those grieving a person. The analysis finds that pet loss receives measurably less support: more than one in four pet mourners received no support of any kind, and food support showed a 25-point gap. Yet pet mourners were more likely than anyone to want the death acknowledged, and their window for welcoming a check-in closes sooner, a median of 21 days versus 30.5. The report includes the highest-rated condolence messages for pet loss and guidance on personalizing AI-assisted sympathy messages.
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August 12, 2026
A new report from Gourmet Gift Baskets combines Census birthplace data from 2010–2024, complete 2023 state-to-state migration flows, and MovingPlace activity from the first half of 2026 to map where Americans have roots and where they move. The share of U.S. residents living in their state or jurisdiction of birth fell from 59.1% in 2010 to 56.8% in 2024. Across all 2,652 state and jurisdiction routes, established state networks had a 0.89 correlation with new moves in 2023. The report’s Mover Attraction Score ranks South Carolina first, while Florida recorded the highest 2026 moving activity.
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August 12, 2026
A companion paper to the Gourmet Gift Baskets moving report examines what state-to-state migration data leaves out: how far Americans actually live from family. While 43% of U.S. residents live outside their birth state, the typical adult lives about 18 miles from their mother, and 74.8% of adults with a living parent or adult child have one within 30 miles. Pew Research Center found 55% of adults live within an hour's drive of at least some extended family, though that share falls from 63% among adults with a high school education or less to 42% among those with postgraduate degrees. In the 2020 AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving survey, 76% of people caring for an adult age 50 or older lived in the same household or within 20 minutes of their care recipient.
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August 7, 2026
Grief touches nearly every American, yet most feel unprepared to offer support when someone dies. This roundup of 68 sympathy and grief statistics from sources including the CDC, Judi’s House, New York Life, CANA, Empathy.com, and the Greeting Card Association shows how frequently people experience bereavement, how it affects children, widows, workers, and pet owners, and how condolence messaging, funerals, cremation, hospice care, and sympathy gifting fit into a fast-growing “grief economy.” It highlights the gap between how often people grieve and how rarely they feel truly supported, underscoring the importance of thoughtful sympathy messages, cards, and gifts.
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July 29, 2026
Trudy and David founded Chalifour's Flowers with a vision to create a cherished neighborhood flower shop, blending David's creativity with Trudy's operational expertise. Their dedication to beautiful flowers and exceptional service helped the business thrive, and their hard work and resilience laid a strong foundation for a family business that continues to flourish today.
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July 15, 2026
A new report from Gourmet Gift Baskets explores the evolution of sympathy messages over 2,000 years, revealing a shift from prescriptive advice to simply offering presence. Grief researchers and card publishers now prefer messages focused on presence and memory, with the twelve-word phrase, "Holding you close in my thoughts and wishing you peace and healing," accounting for nearly 40% of all sympathy choices.
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July 8, 2026
A report from Gourmet Gift Baskets highlights major shifts in America's fruit consumption over the past fifty years, based on USDA data. Fresh fruit intake has risen over 40% to 133 pounds per person, while canned fruit has dropped by more than 50% and dried fruit by over 30%. Fruits like mangoes, avocados, limes, and grapes have become staples, with availability increasing significantly. In contrast, grapefruit and oranges have seen sharp declines. Currently, imports account for nearly 60% of fresh fruit consumed in the U.S., up from 50% in 2007, posing risks due to drought and extreme heat.
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June 8, 2026
A new report from Gourmet Baskets explores how dads’ priorities are shifting, revealing trends such as a growing preference for trusted brands, dining out, and products that make daily life easier. It also shows increased participation in loyalty programs and rising interest in AI. While preferences vary across generations—gaming is more popular among Gen Z dads—the data also highlights what is actually bought for Father’s Day, including meat, baked goods, and beer. Dive into the full article to discover more about these evolving trends.
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