(+THE CRAZIEST GIFT CARD FACT EVER)

November is the ideal month to get started on your holiday gift list. 

This post will help you do it. No, really, you can do it!

Just focus and let us guide you. Stick around to the end to see that unbelievable fact concerning gift cards (crazier than the one below).

*In 2022, One trillion dollars was expected to be loaded onto gift cards (WSJ)

At ZIPS, we know reports show folks looking for ‘car wash gift cards near me’ spike around the holidays. Hey, car care gift cards are a hit with truck lovers and passionate car people, right?

But with winter weather upon us, we think car wash gift cards would be appreciated by most everyone. It’s smart to keep road gunk washed off your ride this time of year, especially if you live near that cold-hearted neighbor, Jack Frost. That dude’s the cause of all that salt on your vehicle!

More gift ideas ahead…

WHAT TYPES OF GIFTS ARE POPULAR TOWARD THE END OF THE YEAR?

Cardtonic reports Amazon, Nike, Google Play, Apple, and major credit card companies to be among the top 10 most purchased gift cards.

Yet, these are difficult numbers to track since the numbers are huge, but that’s also due to another reason that we’ll get to later.

Another note for you -- gift cards should be personalized to fit the person you’re buying for, don’t you think? 

So, consider which brands they like and activities they enjoy most before you make a purchase. Or how you might be able to make their lives a little easier with your gift.

*When did the first gift card come out? 1994—  Company was Neiman Marcus but Blockbuster was the first to advertise theirs. Paper gift certificates have been around for ages.

GIFT CARD WON’T DO?

If you’re searching for gifts you can wrap up, then use these top 5 tips from professional personal shoppers.

• Go solo - friends are fun to shop with but can slow the pace
• Check for extended store hours in November and December
• Specialty boutiques provide the best gift wrapping
• Shopping budgets protect you from negative feelings after overspending
• Busy people love the gift of an experience - they will make time for a gifted night out, spa treatment, etc.

Wow! Over 66,549 personal shoppers are currently employed in the U.S.

OUR BEST TIP IS THIS…

Try to get a personal shopper for free. Just ask someone in your family or a friend who loves to shop if they want to do your shopping too. 

You’ll be doing them a favor.

If not, then just plan your shopping out so it won’t be stressful. A decent plan today beats a perfect plan 30 days away. Because by then you’ll be behind and Ole St. Nick will have snatched up all the good gifts.

Need tips for holiday gifts at work?

OFFICE GIFT NO-NOS

It’s the thought that counts. But 8 in 10 U.S. employees have received a workplace gift they didn't like. (source: Snappy)

So, think carefully before buying these office holiday gifts.
Keep in mind some gifts to avoid…

• Anything with a company logo
• Gift cards to stores the employee never visits
• Fruitcakes (just never caught on!)
• Cheap chocolates

We’re not judging - those items resulted from real surveys. Sorry, fruitcake fans.

GIFT WRAP-UP

Now you know how to shop early, what people want, and gifts to avoid. We’d love to see your entire gift list receive a ZIPS Gift Card to keep their car nice and clean. It makes the world a little… shinier.

And to close out, here’s the craziest fact we could dig up about gift cards.

CreditCards.com reports there could be up to $21 billion in unused gift cards here in the U.S. An average unused amount of $175 per person!

That’s a great reminder to keep ZIPS Gift Cards in your glove compartment so you don’t misplace them but also to Google ‘car wash gift cards near me’ when you need the perfect gift for anyone on your list.