Bookstore Gift Cards Near Top of Holiday Lists

During the 2007 holiday shopping season, bookstore gift cards were the third most popular gift cards purchased, below only those from department stores and restaurants, and above seven other categories, including electronics, discount, and clothing store cards, according to the National Retail Federation's "2008 Holiday Survival Kit."

To help booksellers meet the growing demand for gift cards (73 percent of which are purchased in the store where they're used, according to NRF), three new IndieBound-inspired ABA Gift Card designs were launched in September, along with four new presenters, which can be mixed and matched. Fourteen card designs are now available, including a very attractive "Happy Holidays" and "Have a Happy!" card.

On Friday, October 31, at noon EST, booksellers will also be able to order one of four Scholastic-sponsored cards and presenter sets, featuring art from Walter Wick's Can You See What I See? series. (The cards and presenter can be previewed on BookWeb's Gift Card Design page.) Scholastic has generously covered the cost of the limited-edition card (22 cents), the transaction fee (50 cents), and the matching presenter (12 cents). Booksellers will pay for shipping and handling and to add an imprint, if desired.

Consumer data gathered by Bigresearch for NRF shows that, in 2007 holiday shoppers purchased an average of 3.7 gift cards apiece with an average value of $41.95.

"Don't miss out on holiday sales," said Jill Perlstein, ABA's Gift Card Program director. "Give your customers a choice and consider offering more than one design. Check your card and presenter stock and order sooner rather than later." (NRF predicts that 40 percent of people begin their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving.)

Orders for generic cards (or just presenters) generally ship within one to two working days. Imprinted cards usually take from three to five working days.

ABA members who would like to learn more about the program can find details on BookWeb.org. Questions may be directed to [email protected] or to Perlstein at (800) 637-0037, ext. 6642 or Linda Ford at ext. 6644