Disneyland Florida, the home of Mickey Mouse and Friends.....

Monday, 16 May 2011

Oh and of course Gift Cards Galore!

Don’t worry... I am not going to bore you to death with all the details about my recent vacation to Disneyland Florida, albeit hasten to say the family had a wonderful time and the weather was great!

• Gift Cards are EVERYWHERE: Be it nationally recognised brands such as Sears, Nike, JC Penny and Starbucks or smaller independent retailers it was clear that everyone has embraced gift cards and moved over from paper gift vouchers.
• Location, Location, Location: Displays of gift cards were not just limited to the till or checkout area with nearly all retailers displaying their cards throughout their stores. The most common location was actually just inside the main door so you catch customers entering the store and also leaving. Remember Gift cards have no monetary value until activated at the till point so can be displayed through your stores or locations.
• Multiple Card and carrier designs: Rarely did I see a retailer with a single one fits all card design. Most retailers would have card and carrier designs that appeals to children, adults, male and female with a wide range of chargeable display products to increase spend and profitability. 
• Restaurant branded Gift Cards: Unlike the UK which currently only has 2 or 3 nationally recognised Restaurant branded gift cards, in the US this is one if not the strongest sector for Gift Cards and again these restaurant brands are selling cards in their restaurants but also in 3rd party Gift Card Malls where the category often has centre stage merchandising.
• Promotional use of Gift Cards: Whether it was on TV, in newspapers, Bill boards or in-store promotions,  Gift cards were being used effectively to sell products and increase customer spend, e.g. spend $100 this weekend and receive a free $20 gift card towards your next purchase.

1. Display and merchandising is key; customers have to be able to easily see your cards and if you only display gift cards at till points you are missing those customers that are browsing but don’t end up buying something
2. Multiple card and carrier designs will enhance your gift card offering and appeal to more customers
3. Restaurant operators now is the time to get on board and benefit from the growing opportunities, channels and income Gift Card programmes will bring you!