Gift Card Granny has been surveying users since 2016 to gain insight on gift card usage and trends for the upcoming holiday season. Over 1,200 US-based consumers who have visited www.giftcardgranny.com responded this year. Read below for topics such as the most requested gift cards for 2021, eGift card trends and trends on gift card purchasing. 

Results from the 2021 Holiday Gift Card Study

Most Requested Gift Cards

• Amazon won the popular vote again this year at 72%.
• Walmart came in 2nd at 51%, also for the second year in a row.
• Visa was in third with 50%
• Target was in fourth with 40%.

Gift card popularity was based on what respondents preferred to give or receive as a gift.

Top 5 Retailers for 2021 Holiday Shopping

For the fourth year in a row, Amazon remains the number one retailer for holiday shopping at 49%, while the following are still preferred merchants for holiday shopping among consumers: Walmart (14%), Visa (10%), Small Businesses (7%) and Target (6%).

eGift Card Trends

• 56% of respondents indicate they have used a mobile app to purchase a gift card.
• 85% of respondents have purchased an eGift card or digital gift card.

Gift Card Purchasing and Usage

When questioned about the number of gift cards purchased per year, 34% of consumers said they typically buy seven or more gift cards a year for gift-giving occasions like birthdays, wedding and holidays. This is up from 32% in 2020. Additionally, 26% of respondents said they buy seven or more gift cards a year for their personal use which is down from 30% in 2020. 

Fifty-two percent of consumers admitted to buying a gift card based on promotions such as extra reward points, cashback rewards, or buy one, get one offers.

Interestingly, last year 41% of respondents claim to have lost a gift card, and this year 40% of respondents claim to have a lost a gift card.

Virtual Gift Card Trends

eGift card popularity remains steady in 2021 with 84% of respondents indicating that they have purchased an eGift card. As far as which type of gift card people prefer, 36% of respondents prefer digital gift cards over physical, while 29% prefer physical and 35% have no preference.

Holding steady from 2020 and now in 2021, 56% percent of respondents confirmed they have used a mobile app to purchase a gift card. Furthermore, 37% of respondents confirmed that they have used a card linked offer.  Meaning they have linked their Visa or Mastercard to receive discounts from websites like Dosh and others. 

Survey Methods

Results for this Gift Card Granny poll are based on survey responses from November 2, 2020 – November 15, 2021, with a sample of adults aged 18 and older who have visited www.giftcardgranny.com. 

Contact:

Lindsey Morrison

lindsey.morrison@wolfe.com

855-660-6847

About Gift Card Granny

As the grandmother of all gift cards, Gift Card Granny’s goal is to help consumers make the best decision when it comes to shopping. Whether buying gift cards or shopping at favorite brands, their team is dedicated to helping save their customers money in the process.