GiftCard Partners Blog

Who's Leading the Pack in Digital Gift Cards? The Answer May Surprise You CVS Caremark ranks high in the best of the best as the in-store to web spend shift accelerates. A leading research company along with CashStar analyzed the various digital gift card offerings of
the Internet Retailer Top 100 online. The findings will surprise you!
Read the full story
. 
How do Small Businesses Feel About the Healthcare Overhaul? One third of small business owners NOT currently offering healthcare benefits say they will be more inclined to start offering those benefits this year.  The tax credits now available to small businesses offering healthcare to their employees is making a significant impact on how small business view their benefits packages and how they will offer them in the future. 
Read the full story. 
HR Speak: What will You Gain from a Health & Wellness Incentive Program?
  
Are they Worth it? Employees of small businesses across the country are receiving rewards for healthy behavior both in and out of the office.  With the implementation of wellness programs in offices across the country, healthcare costs are decreasing for employers, and some of the saved money gets distributed to employees for healthy behavior.  Learn more about how your business could save money & how to make your employees healthier.
Read the full story.
Implement the Latest in eGift Cards from CVS Gift Cards have been taken to a new level of convenience with CashStar’s Mobile Gift Card App.  Using the CashStar app allows eGift Card recipients to redeem their gift cards directly from their phones in retail locations, including CVS!  The app creates a bar code with the value of the gift card allowing the cashier at the location to simply scan the bar code to apply the gift card.  To learn more about this secure, innovative and convenient technology,
read the full story.
About CVS/pharmacy Gift Cards

Employees of small businesses across the country are receiving rewards for healthy behavior both in and out of the office. With the implementation of wellness programs in offices across the country, healthcare costs are decreasing for employers, and some of the saved money gets distributed to employees for healthy behavior. Learn more about how your business could save money & how to make your employees healthier. Read the full story
here.

This week's blog topic came to us from a member of the GiftCard Partners team and her personal interaction with one of GiftCard Partner's retail clients.  She was about to embark on a road trip to return home for the holidays when she realized she was out of windshield wiper fluid.  Having never filled the fluid up on her own before, she went to her local AutoZone store, slightly apprehensive and embarrassed, and purchased the fluid. She hesitantly asked the cashier if he could help her open the hood of her car and assist her with pouring the fluid into the proper reservoir (asking was better than accidentally messing up the car!).  The cashier obliged, assuring her that people have come in with "much stupider questions."  He assisted her with the fluid, greased a sticky latch on her hood, and tried to make her feel less helpless.  This anecdote proves that customer service can make all the difference, especially around the holiday season.  Happy Holidays from everyone at GiftCard Partners!

Check out this industry status report from the Incentive Marketing Association.  it provides some great insight on health and wellness program costs for companies, the industry outlook for 2011, and industry news and events.  It is a quick read and a great way to keep up with the incentive industry!  A link to the FastTake update can be found at http://www.incentivemarketing.org/associations/2592/files/FastTakes%20Nov2010.htm.

Before you begin the holiday shopping season, driving yourself crazy trying to find great gifts for everyone on your list check out these survey findings from the National Retail Federation consumer interest in gift cards. Gift giving might be easier than you think! 57% would like to receive a gift card (up from 55% from last year.) 61% of those with higher incomes (more than $50K) want a gift card 63% of those ages 25 – 34 want a gift card 64% of women want a gift card So give the people what they want this holiday season, and give yourself a break.