Give Your Customers What They Really Want: Gift Cards

Dec 16, 2013

Give Gift Cards this Holiday Season

The majority of Americans love getting custom gift cards. Since 2007, gift cards have been the most requested holiday gift item on Americans’ wish lists.

Much of their popularity, no doubt, is because of the purchasing options they allow consumers. If you want to make sure that your loved ones get what they really want this year, giving them a gift card allows them to pick out exactly what they want.

You won’t be alone, either. The National Retail Federation reports that more than 80 percent of consumers surveyed are planning to purchase gift cards this holiday season. Economists predict that the average amount spent on gift cards this year will be more than $150.00 per shopper. That’s a nearly $30 billion market in the U.S. alone!

Benefits of Holiday Gift Cards

How can your business claim a share of the market?

• Offer customized gift cards. Use holiday colors and themes that play off your logo and your brand. Gift cards represent more than money — they carry the entire weight of your brand. Customizing them allows customers to convey the excitement and thoughtfulness of their gift.
• Market your holiday gift cards. Make sure your customers know that you offer customized holiday gift cards. E-mailing, in-store signage, and advertising campaigns can all help get the word out and help increase gift card sales. You can also display your customized cards in store windows and on-shelf displays.

Additional Gift Card Statistics:

• Nearly two-thirds of Americans have purchased a gift card.
• More than half of gift card recipients make two or more shopping trips to spend the balance of their gift card.
• Customers who pay with gift cards spend, on average, 20 percent more than the value of their gift card.
• Approximately 40 percent of gift card holders don’t spend the full value of their card.
• More than 80 percent of holiday shoppers bought a gift card in 2012.