GiftCard Partners Blog

Creating a thriving workplace culture starts with one essential ingredient: employee recognition. Studies show that companies with robust employee recognition strategies experience stronger engagement, reduced turnover, and increased productivity. Recognizing employees doesn’t just boost morale—it drives business success.

We’ve all received cash bonuses. It’s the biggest staple of employee rewards and incentives, but should it be? The Incentive Marketing Association and the Incentive Research Foundation have partnered once again to take a closer look at the rewards and incentives that make the biggest impact in your programs. Their Participant Survey, surveying 452 employees with 80 in-depth questions, helped prove a point that GiftCard Partners has emphasized for a long time: that cash is NOT king when it comes to employee reward programs. The Participant Survey showed incredible statistics about employees’ propensity to choose non-cash incentives when presented with a choice. A few key findings included:

What is third party distribution?

You have seen third party distribution when you’ve walked past the gift card displays at your grocery or pharmacy but may not know it by name. Third party is a common term in the B2B Gift Card Industry. It’s the opportunity to sell gift cards in retail locations that are independent of the brand represented on the gift card. By definition, third party sales refer to the three companies involved when selling to the consumer: the brand on the gift card, the company that sells the gift card, and the company that manages the operational component of the transaction. For most gift cards programs, third party represents their largest sales channel and the greatest opportunity for consumer awareness and marketing. Why’s this? Consumer traffic!

CVS/pharmacy posted a 10.3% increase in net revenue in the third quarter. As the economy continues to recover and the pharmacy sector continues to grow, positive returns shouldn't be surprising. However, the numbers CVS Health brand is putting up are almost unprecedented. A major reason for the growth came from the acquisition of Omnicare, which continues to prove the innovation of CVS/pharmacy. Omnicare allowed CVS/pharmacy to expand into the niche pharmacy market for senior living and long-term care facilities and provide care to a population who may never go into a retail pharmacy.