NEW YORK—The male consumer is the primary gift card buyer in the U.S. for the first time, a new study shows.
A Blackhawk Network research report found that while men and women are similar in the types of gift cards they plan to purchase in the next year (e.g., single brand vs. multi-brand cards), men tend to purchase more gift cards to electronics and video game retailers than women, who reported purchasing personal care and beauty cards more than men, Retail Customer Experience said.
Increasingly a Planned Purchase
“Gift card purchases have also gone from a go-to last-minute gift to a planned purchase with 71% of surveyed consumers reporting their gift card purchases are planned,” Retail Customer Experience added.
The report also looks at how an industrywide shift to more sustainable gifting is resonating with consumers.