Gift cards rule!
The gift cards were flying at our family Christmas celebration this year. I personally received a Gap gift card, and Bob got one from Gander Mountain. We gave gift cards to several people on our list, to Best Buy, iTunes and Hallmark. I believe just about everyone in the family received at least one gift card this year. We’re all in good company – the National Retail Federation reports that consumers spent $24.81 billion on gift cards this year compared to only about $18 billion last year.
A story by the Associated Press on Topix.com says that retailers are cutting prices even more, hoping to snap up as many sales as possible before the 31st. Last year, the week ending 12/31 accounted for a little more than 15% of holiday sales. It may be even more this year, considering the pre-holiday sales were disappointing to most retailers.
I will personally be scanning the sale and clearance racks, hoping to make the most of every dollar on my gift card. By contrast, Bob will probably use his card toward a more expensive item, offsetting the cost. Either way, we love the gift cards!
How do you plan to use the gift cards you received?
Gift Cards, Christmas, After-Christmas Sales, National Retail Federation, Best Buy, iTunes
Leave a Reply