Did you know that consumers returned one third of their online holiday purchases in 2013? That’s what The Wall Street Journal found.
This forces shoppers to venture back to the stores or ship their unwanted items back to retailers. And sometimes, let’s face it, the returns process isn’t always so seamless.
Well, eGifter recently launched a new campaign to give consumers a chance to redo their poor gifting experience. The #WorstGifts campaign, which launched November 1, was developed to “spread awareness about better, more personal options for gift-giving this holiday season and beyond,” said Tyler Roye, CEO and Co-Founder of eGifter. “Specifically, we’re demonstrating that gift cards can give people lots of options and still be personal, even in the digital age.”
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Consumers are asked to share stories on social media about the worst gifts they’ve ever received. Winners will be randomly selected, however, eGifter will be sharing their favorite entries on social throughout the campaign. Participants with the worst gift stories will receive a digital cift card toward any of more than 200 brands in the eGifter marketplace.
“Unfortunately, the gifts that stand out are often the worst gifts people have gotten over the years,” Roye said. “Everyone has a story about an ugly sweater or outdated electronics from a well-meaning but uninformed relative. So we thought: We’re a gifting company, why not do something about this?”
Roye argued that gift cards can actually be more effective than physical gifts. “It’s more thoughtful to send a digital gift card than sending a gift that is the wrong size or color, or just not what the person wanted,” he said. It also puts burden on the receive to return or exchange the unwanted item. “Returning gifts takes a lot of effort, so sometimes they remain in the back of a closet for years, which is a waste on both ends.”