Gift certificates were the big trend in holiday presents last year, and many moaned that they were insensitive, thoughtless and uncreative. If the gift givers really cared, the thinking went, they would put more thought into what they gave, make it more personal. You know, the spirit of the holidays and whatnot.

Well, it just got worse. New at your local grocery store: prewrapped gifts. A soothing sounds alarm clock. A laser level and cordless driver for those handy around the house. The Microvoice recorder. An electronic Trivia Challenge game. A lantern radio.

“Great stocking stuffer!” the stand says. “You pay only $9.95.”

And these thoughtful gifts come with a card, bow and batteries. They’re heartwarming, really. Even the name of the company behind this odiously depersonalized swag speaks of holiday cheer: Giftxpress. The cockles of your heart will grow even warmer upon learning the name of the company that runs Giftxpress: SynapseConnect Inc., which is a part of Synapse Group Inc. in Stamford, Conn.

It’s just like mom and dad, except that it operates out of an industrial park and assumes that everyone wants a laser level this December.

Not everyone is so cool to the idea. Sean Roberson, 30, of Porter Square, approached the stand in Star Market yesterday and found value in a prewrapped gift.

“Maybe as a last-minute gift idea,” he said. “The drill is kind of cool. The level and the drill.”

But then he really got into it.

“It’s the perfect man gift. It’s like, ‘Uh-oh,’” he said. “They should do this for Valentines Day. And anniversaries.”