Here’s a pop quiz: what has been the most requested gift in the U.S. across all income levels for eight consecutive years till 2015? If you think it’s a video game console or a versatile doll with around 150 careers, you got it wrong. The answer is GIFT CARD, according to surveys by the National Retail Federation and Statista.
Yes, the much-maligned gift card which has been described as the ultimate in thoughtless, lazy gift-giving has become so popular and entrenched as a go-to gift for holidays and special occasions. Moreover, this growing preference by the consumer market for physical gift cards is accompanied by a precipitous rise in the popularity of digital/electronic gift cards or EGCs. In fact, a 2015 consumer survey by InComm in the U.S. showed that nearly 90% of survey respondents between 18-25 years old are more interested in purchasing digital gift cards now than they were two to three years ago.






