pulse points
Useful facts and tips for spa professionals.
Retail Trend: Social Gifting is In
F
orget deal-a-day websites. The new
buzzword in retail is “social
gifting.” According to Wrapp, a
Sweden-based mobile app
company, social gifting is the act of
getting together on social media sites,
like Facebook, to buy each other gift
cards from participating retailers.
Consumers can store these gift cards on
their mobile devices and redeem them either
online or inside physical stores.
Keeps Brand Integrity
In an article published on Reuters.com, Wrapp’s Chief
Executive Officer Hjalmar Winbladh says this new retail idea gives
brick-and-mortar retailers a fresh and more efficient way to drive sales into
stores “without diluting their brands.”
While still in its infancy, social gifting is a strategy that strikes a chord
among retailers simply because there is little marketing cost and customers
often end up shelling out more for a product or
service once they are
inside the store. In fact,
brands like Starbucks,
Sephora, H&M and Gap are
reportedly lining up to be part of this
up-and-coming trend.
Retailers’ Nod
According to the report, Starbucks, for one, expects social
gifting to make up about 20 percent of its gifting business in the near future.
Bridget Dolan, vice president of interactive media at Sephora, expects social gift redemption
to spike on holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and just before Christmas.
Word of Caution
Forrester Research Vice President, Principal Analyst Sucharita Mulpuru thinks social gifting could
grow very quickly in a short period of time, but cautions that there is more to be seen.
In the spa industry, there is potential for social gifting to become a big hit, given how popular
spa gift cards are during the holidays. Spa owners just need to understand how to leverage this
new strategy and allow their spas to organically market to their clients’ social circles.
14 PULSE
■
August 2012