How To Boost Your Gift Card Sales This Fall

Here’s an obvious truth about the fall season in Canada: It’s chillier than the summer! What may not be so obvious to you is how the change in the weather may affect the foot traffic in your store.

All throughout Canada, shopping is going to take on a bit a different look in the coming months. More if it will be done from home. As a result, it will take some extra work to promote your gift cards in ways that suit the new fall season.

What can you do to boost your gift card sales this fall?

Go heavy on promoting your gift cards on your website.

Naturally, if more of your customers will be shopping online instead of coming into your store, you’ll want your company website to clearly highlight that you have gift cards available. On EMLPayments.com, Anthony Dobson stresses the importance of featuring gift cards on your website.

“All too often, gift cards are an afterthought on shopping centers’ websites, linked in tiny font within a menu at the bottom of the homepage,” he points out, “Most consumers are visiting your site to look for places to shop or eat, and if you don’t prominently feature your cards, they’re just going to pay cash. Our clients realize far more success when they include top-of-page navigation tabs dedicated to their card programs, as well as front page advertisements.”

Update your gift cards with a new fall design.

Brown, orange and yellow leaves, pumpkins and even turkeys – these are the images that are most commonly associated with the fall season in Canada. Why not create an exclusive fall design for your gift cards to help inspire your customers to pick them up? On Intuit.com, Lyle Daly writes that business owners can make their gift cards more attractive by coming out with new designs related to the different occasions that happen throughout the year.

“Think Christmas trees and reindeer in December or hearts and roses before Valentine’s Day,” he suggests, “Consumers like to buy gift cards in the spirit of the holiday, and if they shop with you frequently, new card designs catch their attention. Updated card designs are also a good excuse to put up some card pics on social media.”

Offer additional perks with gift card purchases.

Who doesn’t like to get a little extra something when they make a purchase? Most gift cards are purchased by individuals who plan on giving the cards to other recipients. Why not sweeten the deal for the purchaser? Offer up some additional perks, such as a discount on his/her next purchase or a promotional card. Dobson agrees that using promotional cards is a great off-season strategy.

“For instance, you might offer a free $10 promo card with a 3-month expiration date with the purchase of every $100 gift card,” he recommends, “You fund these cards, but they drive enough foot traffic and lift that you’ll still come out on top. Plus, with the right promo card program, you’ll only pay for the cards customers actually redeem.”

At Canadian POS, we proudly offer electronic gift cards which we know, from experience, encourages repeat business, attracts new customers and boosts sales all year long! For more information, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.