By Jamie Barrie I t is that time of the year again when we are thinking about what to get for family members and friends for Christ- mas. In recent years it has become increasingly more dif- ficult to purchase gifts in the “I need to have it now” world we live in that most people have what they need or want before the holidays. So comes the dilemma; what do I get for them? What size do I get them? Will that be the right size? Will I offend them if it is too big or too small? Will they like the color? Will they really want it or will they end up taking it back for something else? With all these questions it is no wonder that the holidays are so stressful and why we are seeing more and more people looking to a gift card as an easy way around this, but it lacks a personal touch until now. Retailers are now offering another option to gift cards and turning Loop Commerce, the creator of the gifting technology - GiftNow. The process is simple and almost like sending a gift card, but a shopper is able to select a specific item for the recipient, instead of a dollar amount. We know that you are going to be interested in this option so here is how it works: A gift giver selects an item online before sending it to a recipient. The giftee will receive an email with the gift’s details, but he or she then has the opportunity to select a preferred color, size and shipping address. Or, the gift can be exchanged for something entirely different, at equal or lesser value.
Banana Republic and Athleta are the latest retailers to go live with GiftNow but many other retailers are using Loop Commerce’s platform this holiday season to offer personal- ized gifts including Target, Macy’s, Michael Kors, Tapestry, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. “While online commerce is massive and growing, the majority of the gift-commerce opportunity still lies in physical stores, which don’t always have in stock what gift-givers want to give, or where consumers are hesitant to purchase the wrong item as a gift,” Loop Commerce CEO, Roy Erez told CNBC in a recent interview. “By inventing the GiftNow Card, we’re providing a seamless alternative to shoppers who want to gift a specific item, which they consider to be more thoughtful than giving a gift card, and we’re helping store associates close more sales,” Erez said about the product innovation. “This solution revolutionizes how shoppers are able to buy gifts in physical stores, overcome the hurdles gift-givers face— such as not knowing the recipient’s size or favorite style—and caters to the large and growing base of consumers looking for a more thoughtful alternative to a gift card.”
This could change howwe give gifts over the holidays and think of all the extra time you will have by not having to wrap gifts.
We know that you are thinking this is AWESOME!!!
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2017
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