How to buy gift certificates from small suburban stores
With the holiday shopping season upon us, it's time to start thinking about what you're going to get that college-aged nephew, the out-of-state great aunt and your distant cousin whose interests change daily.
Enter the gift card.
Shoppers this year are expected to spend $25.9 billion on gift cards, the most sought-after gift for the ninth year in a row, according to the National Retail Federation.
The federation projects shoppers buying gift cards will spend an average of $153 on the cards, down from last year's $173.
Here are some things to keep in mind when thinking about buying a gift card or stuffing cash in a card.
• While gift-giving etiquette has relaxed over the years, it's best to make any gift as personalized as possible, says Nancy Mitchell, owner of Etiquette Advocate, which provides protocol and etiquette training for companies and agencies worldwide,
If you're giving someone money, Mitchell emphasizes you should “write a card with a heartfelt message.”
“Your message says you're thinking of them and took the time to write it and sign your name,” she said.
Gift cards, in lieu of simple cash, do help to personalize the gift, says Mitchell, who planned and managed events for the Library of Congress for 30 years. But when giving money, she adds, a check or money order shows better etiquette than cash.
• Whether it's proper etiquette or not, some people just prefer cash. North Park University senior Drew Edstrom, 21, from Arlington Heights, says he understands gift cards can make a more personal experience, but his experience is that often gift cards to obscure places get forgotten.
“I got a Whole Foods gift card one time, and I've never been to Whole Foods in my life,” he said. “I didn't even have a full-sized refrigerator or a place to cook anything.”
He says he's most likely to use a gift card for a restaurant or coffee shop, but prefers cash.
• Municipalities including Elgin, Naperville, Arlington Heights and Long Grove sell gift certificates good for purchases at most local small businesses in their downtowns.
“If you know someone frequents downtown Elgin, but don't know what to get them, the gift certificate is a good idea,” said Paige Roeber, events coordinator for the Elgin Downtown Neighborhood Association. “And it's a way to support small local businesses.”
• Starbucks stepped up its gift card game this year by offering a limited-edition card that's adorned with Swarovski crystals. Talk about a good way to make an often impersonal gift meaningful. The card, also a keychain, costs $200, but comes with $50 preloaded on it.