7 Ways to Increase Gift Card Sales During the Holiday Season

As winter approaches, consumers are gearing up for another spending spree to prepare for the holidays. A classic item that shoppers reach for every December is gift cards. Consumers favor gift cards for their convenience and versatility. By purchasing gift cards for the holidays, your customers could introduce new people to your business. Promoting gift card sales during the festive season can help increase your revenue and brand awareness at the same time.

The demand for gift cards rises every year — so how do you entice people to purchase them at your store? This guide includes the latest strategies to help you maximize gift card sales this holiday season.

1. In-Store Holiday-Themed Cards

Your gift cards’ design is more important than you might think. The May 2021 Fiserv Gift Card Gauge analysis reported that 69% of customers believe design is important, and 40% admit to purchasing impulse gift cards just because they liked the image.

A gift card is a blank canvas you can utilize to tell your customers what your business is all about. You want to create an eye-catching design that aligns with your brand’s style and mission. When creating a gift card design for the holidays, you should also incorporate elements reflecting the festive season. Gift cards featuring a specific occasion add a personal touch that consumers enjoy. You might also consider releasing multiple styles since 63% of customers prefer choosing a unique design.

2. Online Purchases

In 2021, 57% of consumers plan to do their holiday shopping online. Selling gift cards from your website allows you to capture some of these internet purchases. Create a tab on your homepage that makes it easy for shoppers to find and purchase gift cards. You can also create a pop-up to advertise your gift cards to anyone that visits your site throughout the holiday season.

Offering various delivery methods can help you appeal to more customers. Some people enjoy the convenience of a digital gift card, while others prefer having the physical card shipped to their door. Another convenient option is allowing customers to send the gift cards directly to the recipient.

3. Unique Holiday-Themed Packaging

Modern consumers are looking to dress up their gift cards with festive packing options. In the same Gift Card Gauge study, Fiserv found that 32% of customers wrap their gift cards, and 48% are most interested in customized packing.

Creating unique holiday-themed packaging will help your gift cards stand out from the rest. Our design team at PLI will work with you directly to create innovative gift card packaging solutions. You can choose from one of our eye-catching Gift-in-Style™ formats or create your own custom packaging. We also offer convenient multipacks that appeal to customers who are shopping for multiple gift cards.

4. Discounts and Incentives

Discounts and incentives are an effective way to increase gift card sales during the holiday season. While discounting your gift cards may seem counterproductive, it can actually help increase your revenue by attracting new customers and encouraging shoppers to buy more than they planned.

There are countless methods to incentivize gift card sales. You could run a special for $10 off when consumers purchase $100 in gift cards. A customer shopping for three $25 gift cards might feel tempted to buy another one to earn the deal. Another idea is to offer a discount on their entire purchase when they buy a certain amount in gift cards. For example, you could provide customers with 25% off when they purchase $75 or more in gift cards.

When choosing your discounts, you can be as creative as you want as long as the terms and conditions are simple enough for your customers to understand.

5. Promotional Cards

Promotional cards are an effective strategy to market your brand and gift card program with one clever solution. The front of the card can market your business with your brand name and logo. The back can include information about your gift card program, like pricing and a link or QR code to purchase gift cards online. In the weeks leading up to the holidays, you can hand out cards with every purchase, display them by the checkout counter or send them by mail.

PLI does all the work for you with Promo-Gift-to-Go™. Our promotional cards will drive your customers to your website to purchase gift cards in a fun and convenient way.

6. Banners and Signs

Remind your customers that you sell gift cards with banners and signs throughout your store. If you’ve recently started selling gift cards, this strategy is even more critical. Banners and signs make the most impact in storefront windows, near the entrance and next to the register. Include information about your gift card program and any discounts you’re running. Adding a festive design will draw the attention of customers doing their holiday shopping.

7. Holiday-Themed Displays

Studies show consumers are more likely to purchase gift cards from physical display fixtures than any other location. During the holidays, it’s crucial to display your gift cards with an attention-grabbing display in a prominent location. Point-of-purchase (POP) displays make it as simple and convenient as possible for shoppers to find and purchase gift cards.

Holiday-themed displays will capture your customers’ attention and remind them about upcoming gifting events. These marketing materials also attract customers who are searching for another type of gift but haven’t found anything else.

The PLI design team will work with you to create custom POP displays that drive your customers to make a purchase. We can provide fixtures for countertops, feature walls, shelves or floor displays that work with your space and appeal to your customers.

Get Ready for the Holidays With PLI Card Marketing Solutions

Now that you understand how to increase gift card sales, it’s crunch time to implement these strategies before the festivities begin! PLI Card Marketing Solutions is the gift card marketing partner many highly respected brands turn to during the holiday season. We’ll support your gift card program from designing and producing cards and POP displays to providing packaging and fulfillment solutions.

We focus on design, display, distribution and differentiation to captivate shoppers and achieve results. Our team of experts will get to know your business and work with you one-on-one to help you reach your marketing goals.

Contact us today to find out how we can help support your gift card program this holiday season!

Sources:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/671202/us-gift-card-sales/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/246589/holiday-gifts-to-be-bought-by-consumers-by-item/

https://www.fiserv.com/content/dam/fiserv-ent/final-files/marketing-collateral/other-marketing-collateral/Gift_Card_Gauge_Collateral_0621.pdf

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1186198/in-store-vs-online-holiday-shopping-in-the-united-states/