Top Gifts That Win Client Business
Finding the right gift for household and business clients can be
a tedious task. With time being of the essence many are opting
for gift certificates, business related discount coupons or just
a simple greeting card. But are these gifts the most effective
way to attract or retain client business and loyalty?
Statistics reveal that most printed coupons do nothing but
gather dust and end up in the waste paper basket. Gift
certificates, though used more often than coupons are most
likely remembered only after the face value has expired.
One survey comparing gift certificates, coupons and gift card
usage found that gift cards far outrank the other forms of gift
respecting usage. Gift cards are fast becoming the gift of
choice for household and business associates as well as distant
gift giving.
Gift Card Surveys And Studies The following surveys and studies
represent the growing trends in preferred gifts and the reasons
for this. Heavy gift card users are expected to buy an average
of $332. The primary reason expressed for purchasing a gift card
is the desire for the recipient to select what they want (44
percent), followed by 35 percent who just didn't know what to
get for someone or didn't know preferences in color, size, etc.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) surveys third annual NRF
Gift Card Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, found that gift card
sales will total $18.48 billion this holiday season, a 6.6
percent increase over 2004. Consumer are expected to spend
$88.03 on gift cards this between November and January, 15.6
percent of their gift spending budget. The Average card will
have $38 value; total purchases of cards expected to be $183 per
gift card shopper.
NRF 2004 Gift Card Survey revealed that almost three-quarters of
consumers planned to buy an average of 3 gift cards between
November and January.
64 percent of U.S. adults said they bought or got a gift card in
the previous 12 months. That's up from 36 percent in ValueLink's
2001 survey.
Another survey reveals that sixty-eight percent of Americans
intend to continue using gift cards heavily during the highest
shopping season of the year.
A random telephone survey conducted last month concluded that 87
percent of adults who have given or received gift cards plan to
buy between four and 15 retail gift cards this holiday season
with an average amount of $38 per card.
The 2003 survey of 1,023 U.S. adults aged 18 or older revealed
that consumer awareness of gift cards has reached 92 percent, a
13 percent increase over 2002.
40 percent of the 460 corporate incentive program decision
makers interviewed indicated that they used gift cards and/or
gift certificates as incentive items within the past year, with
14 percent stating that gift cards are the most used incentive
items within their company.
Gift cards consumers love them, and small businesses are reaping
the benefits of one of the retail industry's most favorable
trends. To that end a product development company www.Fimark.net
designed the business and family greeting card with gift card
insert found at http://prepaid-gift-card.fimark.net
Mark Askew, founder of the Fimark.net company believes prepaid
debit gift cards will soon replace all forms of store value
cards and certificates simply because of the wide appeal and
versatility of use.
Prepaid debit gift cards are stored value cards first introduced
to the payroll industry in the 1990's as a means to pay
employees. Now the card has evolved into gift, awards and
corporate incentive tools.
Businesses are also seeing the prepaid gift card as a way of
attracting business or maintaining client loyalty.