Three Ways to Maximize Gift Card Sales This Spring Season

 

 

*This article was repurposed with permission from Zenoti.

Just about every one of your guests has motivation to buy a gift this spring. The annual “moms, dads, and grads” season inspires a spending trend: an average of $171 per recipient . Salons are in a perfect position to capitalize on this with gift cards. When a guest is in a rush, or simply wants to give the gift of choice, gift cards offer an easy, flexible, ever-appreciated option.

For your salon, gift cards can be a revenue driver likely to  deliver more value than just the sum loaded onto the card. Research shows that 55 percent  of people return more than once to use their gift card and 65 percent  end up spending more than its original value.  

It’s also likely that the gift-giver or recipient have not visited previously, giving your salons the opportunity to showcase your services to a potential new guest.

With digital gift cards now available, gift giving is easier than ever. Guests can give and redeem gift cards via their smartphones for mobile convenience, removing the need to invest in  printed cards.

Here are three ways to maximize  your gift card sales this season:

• Create “give one, get one” offers
  Introduce a promotion that rewards gift card customers with a free, extra gift card based on their spend. For example, reward a $50 gift card purchase with an additional $10 gift card at no extra cost. This incentive encourages the gift-giver to visit the salon (perhaps with the recipient), or to give the second gift card to someone else. Either way, your salon benefits from an extra visit and a potential new guest – someone likely to spend more than just the $10 on the extra card.
• Market your gift cards to increase awareness
  Promote gift cards across all your marketing channels, including social media, SMS, email, and on your salon website. Ramp up your promotions  during this key gift-giving season –  but remember to highlight the cards year-round to continually drive the additional revenue.
• Make gift cards available online

Sell gift cards on your salon’s website. This helps drive sales by giving shoppers a quick, convenient, 24/7 gift-purchase opportunity. This strategy also takes advantage of your digital marketing perfectly, as the guest can hit ‘add to cart’ directly from an email or social media post promoting your gift cards.

The right salon software can make promoting and selling gift cards effortless.  When six-location salon chain Blushes started selling their gift cards online, they saw a 134 percent increase in gift card sales year over year. They used the Zenoti salon software platform to create branded digital cards and promote their own “give one, get one” offer.

“We were able to capture future sales and numerous new customers while also rewarding return customers for their purchase and ongoing loyalty,” said Dominic Blake, Managing Director at Blushes. “Setting up online gift cards could not have been easier, and the campaign was a huge success!”

See how Zenoti can boost your salon’s revenue during this spring gift season – and beyond. Talk to a consultant today to find out more.