Holiday 2013: Gift Cards Top Shopping Lists
Gift cards were at the top of shoppers' lists again in 2013, and while we are still waiting on total evaluation of the 2013 holiday season there are some stand-out data points from NRF's initial holiday survey in October. Gift card spending was up again, with consumers averaging $45.16 per card, up from $43.75 last year. Men were forecast to be bigger spenders than women, averaging $171.35 vs. $155.42 respectively. Gift cards' continued popularity lies in the 43.1% of consumers who think it is more meaningful to allow the gift recipient to choose their own gift. 25.3% of consumers still find gift cards too impersonal, but the former group hold the largest share of the buying power. Gift card popularity looks to be a big part of the holiday mix, and doesn't seem to be at risk of losing popularity in 2014.
For more information on gift cards' holiday popularity check out this article from the NRF.
Why Gift Cards are Great for Retailers Too
We know gift cards are an effective employee gift or reward and make a great addition to an incentive program for employers. In this space we rarely talk about how effective gift cards are in driving sales for retailers. First Data just released a new study which uncovered convincing evidence that gift cards provide major advantages to retailers too.
Gift Cards- The Good, the Bad and Everything In-Between
Gift cards have been a hot topic in the news over the past few weeks. The holiday season is a big time for gift card shoppers and sellers alike. The National Retail Federation released survey results indicating that this holiday season 8 in 10 shoppers would be reaching for a gift card, totaling a spend of $29.8 billion. That’s a lot of plastic! We’ve seen gift cards used as a go-to for celebrities like Beyoncé, who handed out more than $37,000 worth in Walmart cards in Massachusetts last month to promote her new album, as damage control from companies like UPS and Amazon to apologize for late packages, and also the unfortunate side of what happens when technology goes wrong as in the case of Target’s 40,000 faulty gift cards, which were not activated properly.
Say Thank You with Volunteer Appreciation Gifts During the Holidays!
Volunteers are a crucial part of the holiday season and it’s important not to forget about all that they do. Many take the time out of their own busy lives to give back to their communities, asking nothing in return. Here are a few simple, yet thoughtful volunteer appreciation gift ideas to thank those volunteers this season:
3 Tips to Reward Employees, into 2014 and Beyond
As the holiday season winds down and we all count down the working hours until the Christmas break, some employers are still working on January bonus plans, or employee recognition plans for 2014. Here are a few quick tips on how to reward employees (and hopefully make your last minute planning a little easier!).
