GiftCard Partners Blog

“After years of recession-fueled frugality, more Americans are feeling the holiday gift-giving spirit in 2011”, says a recent USAA survey. Has your company’s holiday giving increased this year? Budgeting was likely done a year ago, but are you spending more for employee and customer gifts due to better times or do you fall in the “budget glue” category? Have you thought of
gift cards as budget glue? You can literally stick to the dollar of your company gift giving budget with flexible denominations, while giving the gift that people really want – choice!

Holiday gifting season sneaks up fast and, for many employers, it comes with a familiar challenge: finding a gift that feels meaningful, useful, and appreciated by every employee. The stakes are high: a thoughtful holiday reward can reinforce culture, strengthen loyalty, and send employees into the new year with a positive impression of your organization.

As the year winds down, most employers look for ways to say “thank you,” whether through holiday gatherings, year-end messages, or rewards such as gift cards. But today’s most effective leaders are going beyond traditional appreciation to use the holiday season as a strategic bridge into the new year.

As the holiday season approaches, retail and eCommerce competition heats up like never before. Shoppers are looking for meaningful, flexible, and stress-free ways to give, while businesses are navigating rising costs and shifting consumer expectations. To succeed, you need a holiday marketing strategy that goes beyond the basics and connects with customers in memorable, practical ways.

Even though it is not yet Halloween financial analysts and retail experts are already working to predict holiday spending.  With an unstable economy and uncertain times ahead most shoppers will be keeping tight budgets, and not making extravagant purchases.  According to a recent Accenture survey "One quarter of shoppers (24 percent) plan to have a 'thrifty' holiday season and one in five (18 percent) admit that they will be 'focused on necessities', just 6 percent admit to planning 'extravagant' or 'unrestrained' holiday spending." In this type of market, where consumers are being conservative with their holiday budgets gift givers want to ensure that they give "targeted" gifts.  These are gifts where the givers' dollar is stretched and the giver is sure the receiver is going to use and enjoy the gift.  Gift cards are great examples of "targeted" gifts, they are meaningful, and guaranteed to be enjoyed.  Allowing a friend or employee to enjoy dinner with their family, or to splurge on a new outfit is a win/win; a low risk purchase for the giver and a high reward for the receiver. With 43% of survey respondents claiming that they have less income than last year, and historic economic swings, it is going to be a year of low risk gift purchases. Remember the value of gift cards as you make your holiday purchases this year, whether it be for your friends, or employees.  
For more information on the recent Accenture survey click here.