Newsletter - February 2008
Thanks for reading. This year is certainly off and running. February will be over in no time and spring will be here filled with more holidays and reasons to think about your loved ones and what gifts you will be giving for graduations, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and many more. Visa gift cards are universal and with the personalization capabilities they have to offer they have vastly become one of the number one gifts given.
Gift Cards Projected Growth
Gift card sales were expected to increase in 2007 from the previous year and certainly did increase according to a report compiled by Packaged Facts on the U.S. prepaid cards market. They estimated that gift card sales rose 5.6% to $40.5 billion, and will reach $52.2 billion by 2012. With almost two-thirds of Americans purchasing at least one gift card per year, Packaged Facts reports that this number will reach 67% by 2012.
With gift card sales increasing rapidly over the past few years, the fears of both purchasing gift cards and giving gift cards seems to be lifted. There will always be hesitance from individuals not wanting to spend a few extra dollars to purchase a gift card and give cash instead. However, with the personalization resources available to customize gift cards for only a few extra dollars, the price does not seem to be an issue. In 2007, according to the National Retail Federation, 54% of people wanted to receive a gift card for the holidays. This number will surely be higher next year with the growth of personalization, speed of service, and widespread acceptance that gift card are a fully accepted gift receiving and giving item for any special occasion.
Not Just for the Holidays
The holiday season has passed by once again, but is it ever really over? There are always several days between January and October that warrant a gift. Also, the situations where you struggle to think of the perfect gift for the neighbor who watched your house for a few days, or the nurse who was so nice to your family member while they were in the hospital, what better way to thank them then giving a gift card? Personalize it and put a special thank you message on the card. That way they can purchase anything they want and you do not have to wonder if they liked the gift you gave them.
Another momentous event that always merits a gift, usually monetary, is graduation. There is usually someone you know that is either graduating from high school, college, graduate school, etc. According to the National Retail Federation the average person spends fifty dollars on a graduation gift. Cash of course works, but the recipient usually deposits all of their monetary gifts in their bank account. If you are giving a graduation gift this year, you can always personalize the gift with the help of GiftCards.com. The desire for gift cards is growing every year and students will never be bothered by receiving a gift card. Also, it is an easy way for them to keep track of the gifts they received because you can put your name right on the card with any message you would like.
So before you purchase gift this year for anyone, think twice about giving a gift card. The times have changed and gift cards are no longer seen as a burden to have to spend in one location. Give a Visa gift card that can travel world wide.
New Corporate Pages
GiftCards.com has updated their corporate pages. Creating a more user friendly interface is something GiftCard.com's graphic design team is always striving to do. Please take some time and look through these pages and learn all about the capabilities that can be taken advantage of from a corporate standpoint. Gift cards are vastly becoming the number one gift given my corporations and small businesses. Corporate gift cards are not only given for holiday gifts, but for rewards programs, incentives, and client appreciation gifts throughout the year.
Two new features on these pages are the addition of two video demos that will help customers further understand the corporate ordering process and guide them through any issues they may have while placing orders for gift cards. Keep all of the corporate pages bookmarked and be sure to check back regularly to see even more updates that are coming in the future months from GiftCards.com.
