GiftCard.com Reveals Trends in Gift Card Spending During 2012 Holiday Season

DALLAS, Nov. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With the 2012 holiday season in full swing, consumers are making their holiday purchasing lists and checking them twice—and for many, gift cards are a viable and preferred option. GiftCard.com, the leading online provider of gift cards, today revealed its Holiday Gift Card Spending Report with survey statistics and usage data that indicate consumers' preferences in gift card giving and receiving.

With nearly 49.6% of consumers planning to purchase at least one gift card this season, over 40% say they always or almost always pre-plan gift card purchases, and only 15.6% purchase gift cards as a last-minute option. The GiftCard.com Holiday Gift Card Spending Report, which includes data collected from over 1,000 completed surveys and actual gift card buying trends on the GiftCard.com site, revealed that 21% of consumers plan to spend more than last year on gift cards.

Price is the most important factor for those buying gift cards—with the average consumer spending $26.40. Perhaps more surprisingly, consumers rank selection and personalization as very important factors when looking for a gift card, with higher income consumers naming personalization as the most significant reason to purchase a particular gift card.

"Gift cards, for most, are an essential part of the holiday shopping season," said David Jones, CEO of GiftCard.com. "Not only do they make excellent gifts for everyone, from the hard-to-shop-for relative to a holiday party hostess, but they save time and effort in an already busy season. GiftCard.com lets you give the gift of personalization, with customizable gift cards perfect for anyone on your shopping list."

As 14.2% of consumers rank personalization as the most important feature for a gift card, customizing gift cards is becoming more popular than ever before. With GiftCard.com, consumers can choose the design and image on a gift card and send it directly to the recipient along with a greeting card, if preferred. GiftCard.com also offers a large selection of predesigned gift cards, e-Gift Cards and Store Gift Cards to popular stores and brands nationwide.

Although most consumers say they typically purchase gift cards at grocery store displays or specific stores and restaurants, purchasing gift cards online is becoming increasingly popular. The GiftCard.com Holiday Gift Card Spending Report revealed that 13.1% of consumers purchase gift cards online, and another 4.7% from their mobile device. Jones said, "As consumers continue to search for ways to personalize and customize gift cards, online gift card purchasing will continue to grow. During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, GiftCard.com is a convenient and safe place to purchase everything gift card."

The 2012 Holiday Gift Card Spending Report is available in its entirety at: http://www.giftcard.com/reports/2012-holiday-spending-report.aspx

To download the full report, click here.

About GiftCard.com
GiftCard.com is your one stop shop for everything gift card.  Whether you're looking to personalize a Visa Gift Card with your own photo, or find store gift cards and e-gift cards to your favorite retailers and restaurants, our online galleries have the largest selection in the world.  The Dallas based company was founded in 2004 and continues to wow customers with exceptional customer service.  For more information visit our online store.

SOURCE GiftCard.com