Valentine’s Day: a celebration of love or a last-minute holiday?

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. It is a major holiday for retailers, hospitality businesses, and “almost” the biggest holiday of the year for florists – right after November 1st. Valentine’s Day itself is not the problem. The problem arises when we perceive it as an obligation and think: “I just need to buy something.” That’s when men (too) often resort to the classics: a rose, a box of chocolates, a dinner. Instead of asking ourselves: “What would truly mean something to my loved one?”

Valentine’s Day is just one of those “holidays” when we “have to” buy something. Sometimes we genuinely don’t know what that should be – or we simply forgot that we should buy a gift and end up saving ourselves at the last minute. And that is precisely why gift cards are becoming more popular year after year, with sales growth increasing globally. Our own numbers confirm this – across all partners using our solution. Gift cards are a marketing tool that effectively drives sales. Every satisfied customer will gladly give a gift card from a store or destination where they feel good. That is why it has often puzzled me how some businesses still fail to see this and do not offer such a solution to their customers. Do they really not see “where the money lies” – it just needs to be picked up?

Valentine’s Day is just one of the »holidays« when we »have to« buy something. Sometimes we really don't know what it would be - or we forgot that we should give something and have to save our skin at the last moment. And that's why gift cards are becoming more and more popular year after year, with sales growth increasing every year all over the world.

Our own numbers confirm this – across all partners using our solution. Gift cards are a marketing tool that effectively drives sales. Every satisfied customer will gladly give a gift card from a store or destination where they feel good. That is why it has often puzzled me how some businesses still fail to see this and do not offer such a solution to their customers. Do they really not see “where the money lies” – it just needs to be picked up?

We have been present in the gift card industry for almost 10 years. During this time, we have gathered a great deal of feedback and observed many (potential) decision-making processes – from different countries and continents. That’s why we no longer ask ourselves these questions. Over time, a clear picture has emerged: there are different types of decision-makers.

“Must-have” decision-makers

They understand that a gift card is:

• a profitable solution,
• a powerful marketing tool,
• and, above all, something customers expect.

Yesterday, I spoke with the owner of a shopping center in New York. After about an hour of conversation, he sent me a short email: “Send the documentation – let’s get the ball rolling. What are the next steps?” Not because everything was perfectly clear to him, but because he understood the point and saw the value of the solution.

Imagine this scenario:
It’s evening, you come home and, for various reasons, you forgot that tomorrow is an important day (a wedding anniversary, a birthday, Valentine’s Day…). Panic – what now? The easiest solution is to buy a gift card. But now imagine personalizing that gift card – for example, with a photo from a shared moment and a personal message. Of course, I’m talking about a digital gift card: since it’s a last-minute purchase, you simply schedule the exact time the email is sent – and that’s it. A gift like that is guaranteed to warm the heart.

I believe you all know what I’m talking about – at least the male part of the audience. And this is just one example of the benefits of this marketing tool.

Such decision-makers tend to decide quickly and also move swiftly into execution. Of course, this depends on the size of the company or shopping destination. But where the concept is understood, things usually move fast.

A similar example comes from Estonia – a chain of four shopping centers. There, discussions lasted longer and involved more questions, which is logical given the larger number of stores and an already existing gift card program. They set clear goals, which made the integration process relatively smooth. From the first serious discussions to the final decision, several months passed. But once the decision was made, everything moved quickly: the contract was signed promptly, implementation was more substantial but well-thought-out and efficient. The result? A system that works and makes sense.

A similar mindset can be found in one of the largest shopping center groups in Europe. They understood the point years ago, see the benefits, and roll out the gift card system in every new center they acquire – even if it consists of only ten stores. They know exactly why.

“We would like to, but…”

These are those who know they need the solution and that it would help them, but for various reasons never take the step:

• shopping centers owned by investment funds that are not interested in new investments, only in existing revenue – and fail to see new revenue streams,
• management teams who don’t want to take on a new task because they already “have too much work for the same pay,”
• those constantly looking for reasons not to decide (yet), preferring to put out fires instead of making a strategic move.

In this group, excuses come in many forms.

“It’s not the right time yet”

Very similar to the previous group. They too often look for excuses and never seriously ask themselves why this would be beneficial and what they are losing every single day by not moving forward. They do not offer gift cards to satisfied customers, thereby giving up new potential customers and new revenue. There are many like this. 

There are many like this. The main reason? It doesn’t hurt enough yet for them to take a painkiller.

“We are not interested”

To those who simply don’t see it, we politely thank them for their response. This saves us time that would otherwise be wasted on follow-ups. Why? Because they are light-years away from understanding the underlying logic.

The difference between decision-makers therefore lies in whether they:

• understand – or do not understand – where the money is,
• focus on problems or on opportunities,
• make decisions out of fear or out of vision,
• see customers as a burden or as inspiration for growth.

If you are among those who understand the point, you are already one step ahead of the others. The question is: what kind of decision-maker are you?