Big Shopping Day Underway for Gift Card Holders on the Central Coast
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The popular, safe and sure gift for someone for the holidays can be a gift card if you know their likes, but whether the recipient uses the card is another story.
Many shoppers on the Central Coast are out today with their gift cards that came with the Christmas and other holiday-related celebrations.
With stores generally offering discounts for after-Christmas sales, those gift cards can be a big savings for the user even if they have to add a few dollars of their own.
For stores, it will mean more foot traffic and maybe more sales to close out the year.
On average, the gift cards given were about $50 dollars according to analysts who also say 43 percent of the cards are never used and that amounts to billions of dollars.
With that, excited shoppers will be on the move this week.
Shirel Salomon was with a friend at the Paseo Nuevo Mall and said, “I got a Target gift card, four Blender gift cards and a Sophora one. So I’m going to buy a bunch of make up and smoothies.” In her wallet she also found a few more for food. “So, like seven gift cards!”
On leave from the military and coming back home, Peter Speier said, “I’m actually from out of state, so it was really simple for me to just come in town and just buy a bunch. So I didn’t have to travel with a bunch of gifts, but I always use gift cards that I get. I think the only one I haven’t used right now is an Apple, one that I’m saving.”
Savanna Fox is a former resident visiting from Chicago. “Yeah, I got an Amazon gift card. I actually definitely think I’ll use it because I’ll just load it straight on to my Amazon. ” I think I still have some from two years ago,” she said laughing about some cards that were unused at home.
Two reminders about gift cards that have sat around for awhile at your home. First, make sure the places are still open and secondly, put the cards to good use.
Raffaella Lionello is a high school student who said it is likely she has some unused cards. “I don’t remember if I have some, but I probably do. I just have to look around because they might just be in anywhere in my room.”
Barry Fox keeps his card organized but doesn’t always check back. “Yeah, yeah, I have a file folder says coupons and gift cards. Yeah. I do go in every once in a while and, you go, oh, I got to do this!”
Adam King is a Goleta resident who likes gift cards anytime. “I gave a Target gift card and I got an In ‘N Out gift card. I’ll probably use the In ‘N Out gift card ,if I remember.”
There are also many warnings out there about tampered gift cards or some that are part of a scam.
You are asked to make sure they are legitimate and don’t have any suspicious changes to the activation numbers.