Bulk ordering rewards planning. Decide your total headcount early, split it between client hampers and staff share bags, and place the order with room to spare before your deadline. Volume orders and any personalisation both need lead time, and the final quarter of the year is the busiest window by some distance, so the earlier you confirm numbers the better.
Match the scale to the gesture, choose a maker with real provenance, and keep the box simple. Handled that way, a thank you gift does its whole job: it closes the loop warmly and leaves nobody feeling they have to reply in kind.
Presentation helps the impression. A neutral, well-put-together box needs no wrapping and photographs well if the new owners are the sort to post about the day. It also avoids the guesswork of matching a gift to a colour scheme you have not seen yet, which is the risk with anything decorative for a home.
Some couples prefer to share a small box between two settings for couples seated together, Lily O'Brien's Ireland which trims the count but complicates the table plan. It works, but it asks more of your stationery and place cards, so only choose it if the saving genuinely matters.
One honest point that applies to any recipient. If he asks about ingredients or dietary suitability, point him to the published product information rather than reassuring him yourself.
A retirement gift has to carry more than most. It marks the end of a career rather than a single occasion, it usually comes from a group rather than one person, and it tends to be opened in front of the very colleagues chipping in for it. A full chocolate hamper handles all of that with a generosity the moment deserves.