Gift Cards News

With retailers providing increasingly creative ways for gift cards to be personalized and delivered, NRF’s 2012 holiday consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight shows that 81.1 percent of shoppers will purchase at least one gift card and will spend an average of $156.86 on gift cards, the highest amount in the survey’s 10-year history.

Holiday shoppers are expected to spend an average of $155.43 on gift cards, the highest amount since 2007 and up from $145.61 last year. This holiday season, total spending on gift cards will reach $27.8 billion.

• Consumers are expected to spend an estimated $145 on gift cards this holiday season, up from $139 last year.
• 77.3 percent of shoppers will buy at least one gift card.
• Most people (39.2%) will give their friends and family members a gift card to a department store.

• Total spending on gift cards is expected to reach $23.63 billion
• The average person will spend $139.91 on gift cards this holiday season, compared to $147.33 last year
• Department store gift cards will be the most popular, followed by gift cards to restaurants and bookstores
• NRF encourages shoppers to understand the difference between store-issued and bank-issued gift cards and use that information before making shopping decisions