Some businesses do better and some do worse during the holiday season. This year, all of them can crush it by deploying an effective gift card promotion.
‘Tis the season to be jolly…unless you’re struggling to find ways to drive incremental revenue for your restaurant. Truly, the holiday season can be challenging as guest behavior and spending veers into unpredictable territory. But one thing stands true, consumers spend more on restaurants around the holidays.
If there's one thing you can count on it's this: consumers will buy gift cards. In fact, Americans plan to spend more than half of their holiday gift-giving budget on gift cards. For restaurants, this translates into immediate revenue — and could also be an effective way to appeal to new customers.
According to Entrepreneur, gift cards allow you to “increase your brand's appeal to customers you wouldn't otherwise attract.” Of course, one of the most obvious benefits of gift cards is that you’ll earn a new guest — with minimal effort on your part.
And once they’re in that door, they’re likely to spend more than the value of the gift card. In fact, 80% of guests spend an average of $59 more than the gift card value. And that’s if they even redeem the card — nearly half of Americans have an estimated $21 billion in unused gift cards.
With AppFront, restaurants can launch gift card programs with just a few clicks. And like all of our programs, these campaigns are completely customizable — and loaded with ways to incentivize guests to participate.
Encourage guests to purchase gift cards by adding “bonus” value to each card. For example, a $50 card can be worth $55. You can even establish a tiered system where the more they spend, the more they get. This iwll encourage the purchase of cards of a higher monetary value. Remember, most guests spend more than the value of the gift card, so you’re almost guaranteed to recoup that incentive.
And the gift card recipient isn’t the only one who can benefit! Buyer perks can encourage your guests to purchase gift cards. Maybe they receive 10% off their next visit if they purchase a gift card — or receive a gift card of their own as a “thank you”. Incentivize guests and encourage customer loyalty with buyer rewards.
Best of all, these cards go where your business is. They can be physical cards, perfect for slipping in a holiday card or attaching to a gift. You can also opt for digital cards, which are perfect for those last-minute presents and accommodate the overall shift to a contactless dining experience. Similar to cards used by Amazon and Starbucks, these can be redeemed online or in-store, or linked in the app for ease of use — wherever you do business.
So let's make it a merry season with guaranteed sales using the power of gift cards, now available at Appfront.
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Ready to make this holiday season your most successful yet? Let Appfront’s powerful AI, marketing, and analytics tools help bring your holiday campaigns to life.
As online ordering becomes increasingly vital for restaurants, Appfront is pushing the boundaries with its latest offering: Ordering Premium.
It is expected that global revenue from online food ordering will reach 1.22 trillion this year. Therefore, a restaurant's online presence is as important as the physical ambiance, service, and food quality.