‘Tis the season to be jolly…... In a few months

The busiest time of the year for gift card sales is only just around the corner – the last three months of the year account for 60% of annual gift card sales – so, if you have a programme, it is important to start thinking about how you can maximise this opportunity.

 

 

Take merchandising for example. Are the cards merchandised around your store or are they just at your tills? If the latter, and a customer comes in to the store for a look, odds are that they may not come to your tills and won’t know that you offer a gift card. The cards aren’t loaded until swiped through the terminal so they can (and should be!) merchandised as widely as possible in your store.

 

Think about how you can maximise awareness of your gift card. Pubs, hotels and restaurants can use their menus, or hang posters in their bathrooms. Every business can put posters in their windows in the lead up to Christmas to alert passers-by that they sell the perfect gift for their friend, relative or colleague. 

 

Click here to learn from M&S, the masters of gift card merchandising!

 

 

Advertise your gift card in a prominent position on your website - If people don’t know you offer a gift card they can’t buy one. If you have an existing e-commerce website, why not consider our online prepaid capability to issue online gift certificates via e-mail which can be redeemed in-store and online.

 

Why not use Facebook and Twitter to promote your gift card too? In the lead-up to major gifting occasions such as Christmas you should start posting about how “the <insert your name here> Gift Card is the perfect gift this Christmas”. Likewise if you choose to launch a savings card, promotion or run a competition using your gift card programme you should tell your customers. As social media is free, there’s no better place to start? Apart from in-store that is!

 

If you would like more advice on how you can make the most of your gift card programme this Christmas give Michael in our Performance Management team a call – click here for contact details