Gift Cards - The Gift Is In The Card
For the person who has everything giving a gift card can be a great and easy alternative. Almost every retailer offers them and they account for billions of dollars every year. Because of their convenience the popularity and broad selection of gift cards has risen immensely. They are a convenient way of giving someone a present you are certain they will be pleased with and most look forward to receiving them.
So how popular have gift cards become? They have become so important to a store’s bottom line that according to Statistics Canada in 2003 one third of retailers had some kind of gift card program. Three years after that the number had increased to around 82% of retailers that sold gift cards. And the biggest reason could be convenience.
Entrusting your teenage son or daughter with your credit card to go and get gas is not very wise. However you are able to quite easily give them a gift card for $100. Gift cards can also be useful for travel where the card can be redeemed for bus, train or plane tickets without worrying about travel dates.
One of the most successful and popular types of gift cards to send someone is for coffee chains. They can be gifted to family, friends and co-workers and really is the gift that keeps on giving with a little caffeine jolt each day. Retailers such as Star Bucks even lets you purchase another gift card for someone using the balance on your own card.
Gift cards, however, are not just for the everyday run of the mill purchases. Affluent clientele of the Four Seasons hotels can purchase cards from $1,000 on up to $5,000. You can even contact their head office to arrange a gift card that is valued at an enormous $100,000. You may want to seek out fancy gift card holders to match that kind of gift.
While gift cards remain convenient and popular there is a downside in buying them and that is that contrary to store merchandise, these cards are never discounted. For the receiver of the card, they can purchase sale items and have their redemption money go further. But the person giving the card will often not have the to ability to buy a higher priced item at a discounted price.
The store which the card is good for should also be a consideration. If the person you are giving it to does not have an interest in that store the card may be left unredeemed like a large percentage are. A large percentage of cards are never redeemed which adds up to wasted money for the consumer.
Still gift cards can make a fantastic present especially for those in your life that are often difficult to buy for. The large assortment of stores that offer them ensures that you will be able to satisfy everyone on your list.