Gift cards are not a unique concept. You can find them in virtually every hardware and department store, restaurant franchises, and often some grocery stores are selling them. For the U.S. gift cards are the top selling item for roughly 80% of the leading one hundred retailers and it is not likely to change anytime soon. Smaller stores are following suit and are starting to offer their own brand of gift cards.
Small to medium size businesses can benefit greatly from starting a gift card program. They are good options for people who do not know what they should buy for someone on their list. They will grow a business’ customer base with exceedingly little money. And because the cash is received now and the service or item is given later a store’s cash flow is immediately increased.
Gift cards have also become a marketing tool in their own right. A retailer that fails to have a gift card program in place may be thought of as less attractive than a a competing store offering the service. However, to be compelling, a gift card program has to be appealing to customers. Gift card packaging plays an crucial role in gift card giving. Businesses can greatly elevate a consumers perceived worth of a card with original types of packaging and presentation.
Gift cards are fantastic mechanisms for retailers as they frequently raise their overall sales. On average, consumers can drop between twenty to forty percent more than the denomination of the gift card. This will substantially add to a stores bottom line.
Just about as significant as the card itself is the gift card holder that are offered. These can help your program to stand apart from competing cards. It is not enough anymore to simply give someone a lonely card. The packaging plays an important role as it completes the gift. This is especially true when the packaging is available on the house. In a recent study, 84% of respondents said they would buy a gift card if it came included with packaging. However the packaging does not have to always be given away as many respondents said that they would buy it if they were given different options.
To elevate the overall gift giving affair, consumers are seeking creative gift card packaging such as pouches, bags, tins and boxes in which to store the cards. Stores have paid attention and are responding.
If you have ever given any thought to implementing your own gift card program there is no greater time to begin. Gone are the times of gift cards being seen as a dull copout. Simply make your packaging as tempting as the cards.