A Plush Way to Sell Gift Cards

Small plush presentables that have pockets for gift cards are an alternative to the standard Book Sense gift card presenters.

In retailers' never-ending search for new marketing techniques and products to appeal to consumers, Valerie Koehler of Houston's Blue Willow Bookshop has found a winner. Koehler sells small plush presentables that have a pocket for gift cards. Customers can use the plush presentables as an alternative to the standard Book Sense gift card presenters. In addition, Koehler takes advantage of the ability to display inactive gift cards throughout the store and uses the presentables to draw more attention to the cards throughout Blue Willow.

FIGI (www.figi.net, (800) 678-FIGI) offers several different kinds of plush presentables, including a Santa Claus, snowman, cupcake, and even a very appropriate bookworm, which have a front pocket designed to fit a gift card. "They make a nice little presentation," said Koehler, who reported that customers love them and that "half of them buy the plush card holder" in addition to the gift card. Koehler is now contemplating offering the plush holder free with a gift card purchase over a certain denomination.

An acrylic holder to display gift cards.

Blue Willow stocked the plush holders before the store joined the Book Sense Gift Card Program, and they sold well on their own. "We all know gift cards are everywhere," Koehler said. "People are always interested in dressing them up, so I knew people would buy them even for other gift cards."

Another idea for in-store display of gift cards is offered by ABA Marketing Director Jill Perlstein, who bought an acrylic holder from Braeside Displays (www.braesidedisplays.com/ [model number LT4-BC in the Literature Holder section]) and attached a presenter to the back with tape to create an inexpensive way to highlight the cards. Perlstein reported that she's also "working on finding a corrugated display as well as other types of hangers/stands," to offer to member bookstores. In the meantime, she suggested that booksellers try local office supply shops for business card holders or local hardware shops for plastic hooks from which to hang the gift cards on their standard presenters. --Karen Schechner