How to boost gift card sales this holiday season: 5 ways

There’s no better time for your business to roll out a creative and profitable gift card program. Studies show that consumers of all ages love these versatile and convenient goodies. In fact, two out of three consumers surveyed said they plan to buy gift cards for the holidays this year.

Benefits of offering a gift card program

A robust gift card program can offer:

1. Convenience

Unlike household goods or clothing, gift cards fit everyone’s sizes and tastes–and your business can have them readily available online or in person. A display near your POS system can add a boost to gift card sales at brick-and-mortar locations.

2. Profitability

Shoppers using physical or digital gift cards at your business can increase holiday sales dramatically. Typically, they spend more than the gift card’s value when redeeming them. And, about 76% of shoppers prefer gift cards as holiday gifts over taking time to buy physical merchandise. That can also mean more new customers without spending a cent more on marketing!

3. Versatility

Gift cards can be sold and packaged just about any way you can imagine. Combine gift cards with other merchandise to make gift-giving simple for shoppers. Or, offer buyer incentives for purchasing gift cards of a certain amount–like free merch or a gift card of a smaller amount.

4. Better experiences

They’re super easy for givers and recipients alike–and can help create an even better customer experience for the recipient. If you operate a salon or spa business, for instance, encourage clients to add extra cash to gift cards for tips, so the recipient has their entire service covered.

How to sell more gift cards this holiday season

Gift cards can be a boon to business throughout the year. But, they can be especially helpful to shoppers–and businesses–during the busy holiday season. Here are five gift card promotion ideas to help you increase holiday sales and spread some cheer this holiday season and into the New Year.

1. Pair them up

Consider creating gift card packages for your customers to make gift-giving easy. Pair a bottle of wine with a gift card, box a gift card with a greeting card, or offer ready-made gift card sets for couples, kids, or pets.

2. Be social

Go loud and proud with your holiday gift card ideas on social media. It’s an inexpensive–and shareable–way to reach followers and make new friends.

3. Show them off

Whether your business is a bagel shop, nail salon, or hardware store, turn up the lights on your holiday gift card program by displaying them in a prominent place. A host stand, a checkout counter, or even an entrance can make a great home for a holiday gift card display–and can help shoppers mark off items on their holiday lists.

4. Reward buyers

Boost holiday gift card sales by offering a free item, service, or gift card for the purchase of a gift card of a certain amount. For instance, give a free coffee for the purchase of a $30 gift card, a $10 gift card for gift card purchases over $100, or free greeting cards and boxes for gift card purchases of $20 or more.

5. Train your staff

Sometimes a simple reminder at checkout is all it takes to increase gift card sales. So, make sure your staff knows all about your holiday gift card offerings–and how to load, use, and refund gift cards.

Ready to get started with a gift card program?

Clover makes it simple for business owners like you to create and run successful gift card programs for the holidays and beyond. Our powerful app simplifies ordering, redeeming, and managing gift cards. What’s more, we’re rolling out an enhanced Gift Card app in mid-November–just in time for the holidays–to make it even easier for you to:

• Design, order, and sell digital and physical gift cards – It’s a completely self-serve process. And it’s easy to activate and redeem gift cards in either format.
• Handle refunds and rebates – The app makes it even easier to reload and issue returns to a Clover gift card.
• Track multiple stores – Access gift card data from all of your locations in one comprehensive report.
• Simplify billing and processing – Our self-service gift card program offers the support you need while removing unnecessary hurdles and delays.

Take your pick of our gift card promotion ideas and get set to maximize holiday sales with minimum effort!

Learn more about gift cards and Clover POS solutions. Or, contact us at 1-855-290-7262 or  support@giftcards.clover.com for even more information.

Editorial Team

Gift cards, Holiday, Marketing, Payments & processing

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