Good News for Shoppers

What You Want to Get Them is Exactly What They Want, Wrap up Your Holiday Shopping in Just a Few Minutes. There is new life in the gift card market this holiday season, as more and more vendors are offering them. The little plastic credit card-like “licenses to spend” hit the market a few years back as a staple for last minute gift-givers. But, as buyers and recipients previously bemoaned their one-size-fits all impersonal nature, that isn’t the case anymore! Gift cards are being heralded as this holiday’s must have! And a new survey shows that’s exactly what consumers want to get and give. According to a survey from Shopping.com , 77 percent of consumers would prefer to receive a gift card to their favorite retailer instead of a tangible gift this holiday and 59 percent of respondents say they prefer to give gift cards as presents. In addition to their convenience making shopping less stressful, you could finish all your holiday shopping in under 30 minutes by buying gift cards online. There are gift cards for just about everything: a favorite department or specialty store, spa or beauty treatments, restaurant meals or vacations. With all this variety, gift cards can hardly be called impersonal anymore. And if you add a special personal touch, like a small token alongside a gift-card, and you’re got the perfect gift. Available to talk to your listeners about the ins and outs of gift card giving, especially as a great last-minute gift, is Alisa Weiner, a shopping expert and general manager of online comparison shopping for Shopping.com , a comparison shopping site. The site is offering gift cards this season from top retailers all in one place, making simple gift-buying even simpler. On December 18th, Alisa will talk about how to choose the best gift cards, the types of retailers that offer them, how to add personal touches and what all consumers need to know about them.