London, UK (July 2013) – With one in six Britons losing money on unused gift cards, how do you give a gift people will treasure?
Choosing the perfect gift for a loved one can be challenging – you might want to give something impressive, without it taking up too much space, or something that is clearly valuable, but doesn’t break the bank either.
But while many people settle on gift cards as a way to let the recipient choose something they really want, much of the money spent on these ultimately goes to waste.
Figures from Gocompare.com1 show that one in six Britons have failed to spend gift cards before their expiration date, effectively losing the value of the money spent on them.
Over two in five people have retail gift cards outstanding at present, with an average value of £65, while 5% have vouchers for experience days that they have not yet used, worth £80 or more each.
So how do you avoid adding your money to this mountain of unused cards and vouchers?
A gift with flair
There’s a whole range of unique gifts that can provide a useful alternative to gift cards, without taking up too much space in the recipient’s home.
Art is one of the best options – it combines all of the best elements of a gift into a single package, it has value without costing the earth, and it’s something many people are unlikely to ever have received as a present in the past.
Choose something slightly unusual or distinctive, and your recipient will always remember who bought it for them, while guests in their home are likely to comment on their artwork.
Wrapping art can be fairly easy too, as it tends to be flat and a regular shape – making it simple to add decorative touches like ribbons and bows, or to opt for a traditional wrapping style like brown parcel paper and string.
Either way, the artwork itself is the star – and even if it goes into storage rather than taking pride of place on the wall, it will hold its value for plenty of years to come.
11 in 6 Brits has lost money on gift cards and vouchers, Gocompare.com, June 2013