Gift Cards turn pragmatic

In a recent article, the state of Maine has been tracking gift card giving and purchasing and they are seeing a rise in gift cards for the essentials of life including gas, groceries and the like. While gift cards use to be the realm of Nordstrom and iTunes, now they are more focused on heaing oil. This is a direct statement on the U.S economy. Familes and friends are helping their loved ones survive unemployment and lost wages by giving gift cards.

This extension into less 'birthday' gift card gifts and more 'needed' cards adds another layer to the argument that gift cards are massive and they are hear to stay. By going beyond simple gifting, gift cards reach into a massive new arena of revenue. There is almost no end in sight to how big the gift card market can be at this point. Imagine how much they will be used once the economy returns.