October 17, 2005
The Wisemarketer.com: According to U.K. gift card provider Giftex, the demand for gift cards and vouchers will rise this holiday season. Leading retailers are implementing electronic gift card programs that make it easier for customers to buy gift cards in-store or online. Giftex's research forecasts that there will be 300 percent more gift cards sold by the end of 2006 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, consumers are expected to spend about $248 on gift cards during the 2005 holiday season - up 10 percent from 2004 and 26 percent from 2003.