Honestly, for a novice it doesn't really matter that much, except stay away from anything above intermediate gear. That said, frankly, find the best package deal you can on novice or low intermediate gear. Once you get down into the lower ability ranges there's very little that could be called bad stuff new on the market today.
One key ingredient is proper boot fit. There may not be bad low-end stuff out there, but there is clearly such a thing as a bad fit. Just like everyone has different shaped feet, different bootmakers from different countries use different shaped lasts. What might be a great-fitting boot for one person might be frightfully uncomfortable or even painful for your daughter. For that reason, it may make more sense to give her a card containing the "gift" and then take her out to the store to pick out her purchase.
Which is where a good bootfitter comes in. You may find good deals at the mass merchandisers (Sports Authority, Dick's Sporting Goods, etc.), but you're also likely to find some pimple-faced sales clerk who doesn't know his arse from a hole in the ground about finding the right stuff for your daughter and your daughter's foot anatomy. Go to a specialty retailer, i.e. a ski shop, and do it the right way.
Is your daughter a natural athlete, a quick learner? If so, don't buy strictly novice gear. Within the context of my earlier comment about not picking up anything oriented toward too high a skill level, don't buy her something that could be holding her back later on in the season. If you're in an area of the world where she's likely to ski more than a half dozen times this year, and she's a quick study in these sorts of things, it would probably make more sense to get something on the low intermediate scale of things.
Finally, beware used gear. If you know what you're looking for you can often find great deals at swaps, etc. If you don't know what you're looking for, there are a ton of dirt-cheap "straight skis" ca. 1997 or earlier on the market that will really retard your daughter's learning curve.
Although I haven't priced such packages lately, by finding some prior-season leftovers or some such deal I'm guessing that you might be heading home in the car around $250-300 lighter in the wallet for everything -- skis, boots, bindings and poles. Sure beats the $450 Garmont Adrenalins, Fritschi Freerides, and Völkl Explosivs I'm looking at -- what's that, about $1,450 MSRP? :shock: Happy shopping, Dad!