Preparing your gift cards for Black Friday: Maximizing Sales Online and In Store
Black Friday is coming up and retailers are preparing for the biggest shopping day of the year. Many retailers will be offering special deals and discounts on gift cards. How can you make sure that you make the most of this opportunity and maximise your sales? In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for preparing your gift cards for Black Friday.
The stats for Black Friday are very appealing for retailers – in the UK in 2021, it is estimated that over £800 million was spent on Black Friday alone. Black Friday was a USA import but has become one of the biggest shopping days in the UK calendar. It always falls on the fourth Friday in November and is seen as the start of the Christmas shopping season.
So, how can you make sure that your gift card sales are maximised during Black Friday? Here are some tips:
– Promote your gift cards
Black Friday is all about discounts for the consumer – but there is no reason why gift cards can’t also be part of the experience. You may want to create a special Black Friday page where customers can easily see all of the deals and discounts that you are offering, and you probably intend to promote this page heavily in the weeks leading up to Black Friday. You can also promote your deals through email marketing and by reaching out to your existing customers- but gift cards can also sit in this campaign.
Some ideas could include:
A longer expiry date
An additional balance (load £50, get £60)
Digital delivery so a loved one can treat themselves on Black Friday at your store.
Additional Discounts for online gift card buyers
What about in store? Gift cards can help maximise conversions and by taking advantage of the increased footfall, can play a part in generating repeat business.
You may also want to offer special deals and discounts for customers who purchase gift cards in store. While offering discounted gift cards could eat heavily into your margins, by offering a deal on gift cards in store to people making a purchase you are already speaking to people who are interested in and invested in your brand. Try and get email data as part of the offer so you can maximise the customer relationship. These additional incentives could mean you discount on additional stock – perhaps you offer a freebie with the purchase of a gift card or a discount on future purchases. You may also want to consider running a contest or giveaway where customers can win a prize for purchasing a gift card.
–Drive the traffic back to your site and the all important opt in page.
– Don’t forget that customers typically spend more than the balance of a gift card – so it’s a small loss for a good potential gain.
By following these tips, you can make sure that you are prepared for Black Friday and that you maximise your sales of gift cards. Gift cards are a great way to encourage spending in the future, to build brand awareness and encourage new customers to find you.
Don’t go it alone! Speak to us for our Black Friday tips – with some quick wins you can integrate today to make the most of one of the best days on the retail calendar.