U.K. Consumers Prefer Buying, Giving Physical Gift Cards (Nov. 3, 2014)
As more aspects of life leave the physical world and enter the digital one, the majority of U.K. consumers still prefer buying and giving physical gift cards, rather than buying and sending them electronically, according to a recent survey by global gift card provider and program manager Stored Value Solutions (SVS). Sixty percent of consumers said they prefer sending physical cards versus e-gift cards, and 65 percent prefer to receive a physical gift card. However, consumers are growing more comfortable with digital gift cards. Nearly 80 percent of respondents said they would buy a gift card online, and 27 percent already have redeemed a gift card via email or mobile phone.
The research suggests that e-gift cards are still in their infancy, according to Germain Roesch, SVS executive vice president, international. “However, as smartphones give rise to new shopping behavior … we think the demand for services such as e-gift cards will grow in the future and is something retailers should prepare for,” he said. SVS commissioned independent market consultancy Trifecta Research Group, which surveyed 1,000 consumers across different age groups and genders in April 2014.
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