GiftCard Partners Blog

Many retailers think of gift cards as a necessary item that gives consumers flexibility in purchasing and gifting. However, FirstData's
2014 Prepaid Consumer Insights Survey reveals that gift cards can actual hold the power to drive incremental sales for retailers, and the better news is that gift card sales are on the rise, with an 8% boost in sales between 2013 and 2014.
Incremental Sales Driver Gift cards drive incremental sales when consumers purchase past the value of the gift card. According to the FirstData study, in 2014 consumer spent an average of $23.41 over the amount of their gift card, up about $3 from 2013. As this consistent consumer behavior takes root, retailers can use gift card purchasing numbers to forecast this unique source of incremental revenue. The additional spending also represents the opportunity to gain new consumers and build a relationship with shoppers who wouldn't have otherwise entered the store. Using gift cards as a customer acquisition tool can help increase incremental revenue numbers that stem from gift cards and gifting.
Gift Card Popularity on the Rise Gift cards have long been a popular gift choice for those picky recipients and continue to offer consumers a safe gifting option that is easier on both the sender and receiver.
81% of consumers plan to spend the same or more in plastic gift cards, with
84% of consumers planning to purchase the same or more in e-gift cards. These strong numbers indicate a real opportunity for retailers to take advantage of the incremental revenue from extended spending on top of the value of gift cards. The flexibility of gift cards provides a desired convenience for consumers as well as a revenue opportunity for retailers. We want to know what gift cards do for your business? Leave us a comment.

Your front line retail associates are often overlooked. The store associates are the people who interact with consumers the most and ultimately have the greatest influence on your brand representation. That’s why it’s critical for you to make the investment in training and education so your employees are representing your brand  as it should be. There are a 
handful of traits that can make truly great retail employees. Here are my 4 favorite traits that create real leaders on your brand's front line.

Mobile is up and coming in the quest to define the omni-channel shopper who shops across devices and digital channels and the omni-channel customer experience. While retailers continue the quest to meet customers in all of the channels and on all of the devices they shop, mobile has prevailed as possibly the most critical of both channels and devices. Mobile feeds into both in-store and e-commerce customer interaction and customer service, which puts mobile in a unique and critically important position. 
According to a new EConsultancy survey, only 50% of retailers believe they have a solid understanding of the mobile user experience. That means half of American retailers are looking to understand the mobile solution and the role it plays in customer-brand interaction. One of the most important components of the mobile question and the role it plays in the omni-channel shopping experience is
customer service. Mobile happens in real-time, as does customer service. It gives consumers the real-time gratification that can be the difference between great customer service and the negative customer experience that can cause retailers to lose customers. Take the plunge into omni-channel shopping through mobile customer service. With
53% of retailers planning to build a unified commerce platform in the next few years, your customer experience and customer service can’t afford to fall behind. It will accelerate your brand's customer focus and create 1:1 marketing opportunities by gaining insight into consumer behavior.

High risk consumer touch points can be risky for retailers. Customers are gained and lost when high risk touch points are not taken advantage of and result in negative consumer experiences. What LoyaltyOne's new study shows is that high risk touch-points get even higher risk when certain demographic segments are at greater risk for negative brand interactions.

Boston Market has their biggest sales day of the year on Thanksgiving Day. They serve over one million people in that one day alone. That’s 400% more customers than usual. And now with more and more retailers opening on Thanksgiving Day, Boston Market is becoming the go to option for retailers to treat their employees that have to work the holiday. But Thanksgiving Day isn’t the only growth the restaurant chain has experienced. People are shifting away from fatty foods and have developed more of an interest in healthier menu items, such as rotisserie chicken. For Boston Market this shift has increased their sales by over 25% in the last few years. Boston Market is looking to expand in both the U.S., opening 12-15 more restaurants in 2015, and a possible international expansion in the Middle East.
 View the recent interview with Boston Market CEO, George Michel here. Boston Market has been serving up fresh, home-style meals and high quality sides since 1985. With more than 490 restaurants from coast to coast, Boston Market is also one of the largest providers of catering services in the U.S. and provides same day ordering and delivery and you can even
order online! Boston Market is just one of the many fun gift card brands offered by
GiftCard Partners and fits into just about any incentive program.