GiftCard Partners Blog

As the holiday season approaches, employee safety and appreciation often top HR priorities — and with good reason. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in December 2023 alone, 1,038 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, making it one of the deadliest times of year for roadway incidents.

In this slow recovering economy, trends in the incentive industry are leaning towards caution and scaled back rewards programs. Safety rewards, which used to garner large incentive travel programs, or other large rewards, are now are being scaled back to much smaller incentive rewards programs. According to the latest Incentive Research Foundation survey, incentive rewards program administrators' confidence levels are down to lows not seen since 2008. The survey indicated the following specifically about travel rewards programs:

For many businesses, staying open during the holidays is essential. Whether you’re a retail store, restaurant, healthcare provider, or service organization, holiday operations can make or break your end-of-year success. But for employees, working through the holidays can also bring stress, fatigue, and a sense of missing out.

Retailers' preparation for the holiday shopping season is now in full swing, and as retailers look for last minute ways to boost their year end revenue; gift marketing becomes a very effective option.  Gift marketing uses gift cards as a device for loyalty and rewards. Giving bonus gift cards to shoppers for spending a certain amount turns a gift card from a one-transaction device into a revenue boosting loyalty device that keeps shoppers coming back. It shows appreciation and gives the essential value-added incentive that shoppers look for as they shell out their holiday gift spending.

Employee engagement in the U.S. has stalled at 31%, down from its pandemic-era peak and representing millions fewer engaged workers across the workforce. New findings from Gallup reveal a deeper issue behind the headline numbers: engagement isn’t eroding because employees don’t care; it’s declining because basic workplace needs are going unmet, especially for younger workers.