Many retailers now have gift card schemes and run them in conjunction with their paper-based gift voucher scheme. Plastic gift cards are the latest innovation in vouchering to hit the UK high street. A plastic card is issued in place of vouchers. When a customer wishes to buy a gift card, he chooses whatever value he chooses to put on the card – eliminating the need for cards of various pre-printed denominations. The value is held on a central database, not the card, and is only activated at the time of payment.
A gift card scheme has various benefits for retailers – mainly in the areas of cost reduction due to the elimination of the need for secure handling and fraud/pilferage. The US retail market, where plastic gift cards were first introduced, has also seen significant benefits in terms of sales uplift over paper vouchers, mainly due to increased promotional opportunities provided by the gift cards.
PCC, a plastic card manufacturer in the UK supply Woolworths with their plastic gift cards. Alan Kellock Retail Development Manager at Woolworths says “Woolworths is constantly striving to improve its customer experience and a gift card scheme was seen as a way to greatly improve our voucher offering to our customer base, as well as having significant benefits for the business. The plastic cards and the carriers on which they are presented are a vital part of the whole operation and we needed a card partner we could rely on to supply these key elements in a timely manner, without errors”.
PCC was selected as that card partner and has been working with Woolworths since the gift card scheme was launched. “Whatever volumes and timescales we have challenged them with, PCC has delivered each time, without compromising service or quality” said Alan. “Their service levels have been consistently high and their advice in this area has made a significant impact on the success of the scheme”.
“PCC is very pleased to be working with one of the key names on the UK high street” said Nick Cahn, managing director of PCC. “Woolworths is a constantly changing, progressive retailer and we look forward to helping them develop and increase sales through the gift card program”.
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