Gift Cards Are The Right Gift For Society

There has long been an argument that gift cards are impersonal gifts that don’t declare much thought being put into the gesture of gift-giving. We’d like to argue that the opposite is true. These days, shopping for loved ones can be difficult. Not only is it hard to determine what a loved one truly wants or needs, but it can be difficult to find time within one’s busy schedule to do any meaningful shopping. The way we see it, a gift card shows that you want the recipient to truly be happy with the gift.

Gift cards, obviously, allow recipients to choose their gifts themselves. This side of the argument is shared by Jacob Davidson who, on Time.com, states that “gift cards are the best present for almost anyone on your list.” And while his article is timed for the end-of-year holiday season, it should go without saying that there are occasions to buy gifts for all year round: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations etc.

How strong is the case against gift cards?

Davidson argues that the case against gift cards is weak. He engages in a friendly debate with his colleague Kara Brandeisky, who insists that gift cards have no true meaning. However, recent studies have found that a third of Americans claim they actually want gift cards as gifts. Perhaps, it’s because three quarters of the nation claim that they don’t like the gifts they receive.

“Let\’s do some quick Moneyball here,” writes Davidson, “Based on these two studies, most gifts have a 25% approval rating, while gift cards have a 37% approval rating…Faced with those statistics, the case against gift cards boils down to human insecurity. How will your friends know you really care about them if you don\’t give them something special? It\’s this fear that drives people to spend an average of 14 hours shopping for gifts. That\’s more than half a day of your life spent stressing out, and for what?”

Davidson goes on to suggest that buying a loved one something based on their interests (he uses a Star Wars ice tray as an example) doesn’t necessarily connote a true sense of strength in the relationship. Does it make someone a “real friend” because they purchased a gift that seems to demonstrate thoughtfulness? It doesn’t make the gift particularly useful. After all, how badly does someone really need an ice tray, regardless of its design?

“Gift cards, therefore, aren\’t just the right gift for your friends, they\’re the right gift for society,” Davidson insists, “They cast aside our anxieties and pretensions to declare, ‘I\’m so confident in our relationship that I have nothing to prove.’ That\’s therapeutic for everyone. In contrast, the stress of trying to accurately translate our feelings into an object—something that\’s neither possible nor desirable—can actually be dangerous.”

Are you selling gift cards to your customers?

If not, you’re certainly missing out on a major revenue stream. They are known to encourage repeat business, attract new customers and boost sales all year long. To begin selling gift cards in your store, contact Canadian POS Corporation. Call us at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.