For Blackhawk Network, it all started with branded plastic cards that hang on racks in grocery stores. Twenty years later, these gift cards come in both physical and digital formats and are more popular than ever—in fact, the global gift card market is expected to reach $750 billion by 2026.1
1ResearchandMarkets.com, “Global Gift Cards Market Size, Market Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2018 To 2026,”2018.
For a twelfth consecutive year, gift cards remain the most requested gift according to the National Retail Federation.2
2The NRF 2018 Holiday Spending Survey was conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. The survey of 7,313 adult consumers was conducted October 1–11, 2018, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2 percentage points.
Our clients have seen increases in loyalty program participation after adding gift and eGift cards to their redemption catalogs.
Last year, 61% of people we surveyed spent more—an average of $31.75 more—than the value of a gift card they received.3
3Blackhawk Network Consumer Gift Cards State of the Union, conducted by Murphy Research, March 2019.