Gift card upsurge explained in Canada

Gift cards are gaining popularity in Canada, according to a survey of over 1,000 Canadian consumers. The survey commissioned by prepaid card distributor InComm and conducted online by Northstar Research Partners said gift cards are becoming more popular because Canadians like their convenience, ease of use, variety and last-minute gifting functionality.

The Gift Card Usage and Attitudes Research survey conducted in November 2012 said the most popular cards overall were in the department store, fine dining and quick service restaurant categories, while financial, online gaming, wireless airtime reloading and long-distance calling were the most popular types of cards purchased for self use.

The report noted that Canadians bought an average of 10.6 gift cards for others in 2012 and cited convenience and last-minute gifting as the chief motivations for buying gift cards. Additionally, about two-thirds of survey respondents indicated they make special trips to stores to purchase gift cards; with 83 percent reporting that they carefully choose the types of gift cards they purchase for other people and 74 percent believing gift cards are a good gift giving idea for people who are difficult to shop for.

The most popular occasions to purchase gift cards in Canada is during the Christmas and Hanukkah seasons, according to the survey.

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