As customers finalise their holiday shopping, Starbucks anticipates record purchases of Starbucks Cards on Christmas Eve, citing the trend for customers to make their gift card purchases at the last minute.
Last year, nearly 2.5 million Starbucks Cards were purchased in the U.S. and Canada on Christmas Eve representing approximately 1,700 cards purchased per minute. One in seven American adults received a Starbucks Card last holiday season, and Starbucks is on track for another record performance in Starbucks Card sales. Although no figures are given for the UK, it’s clear that Starbucks Cards will be popular here also.
Commercial success + planned expansion
The National Retail Federation in the U.S. reports that 58.8 percent of shoppers said they would like to receive a gift card, making it the most requested gift item nine years in a row. Since Starbucks Card launched 15 years ago, more than $25 billion has been loaded on Starbucks Cards in the U.S. and Canada, with $5.1 billion loaded onto Starbucks Cards in the past fiscal year (Oct 2014 – Sept 2015), and of that total, a record $1.6 billion loaded onto Starbucks Cards in three months (October 2014 through December 2014). Starbucks sees the benefits of this increased activity in stores as gift cards received over the holiday season are redeemed.
Today, more than one-third of all transactions in the U.S. and Canada are paid for with a Starbucks Card, and Starbucks Cards are available in more than 31 countries worldwide, with planned expansion in 2016. Starbucks Cards are the gift that keeps on giving. When customers register a Starbucks Card with My Starbucks Rewards they can start earning stars for purchases at participating stores that can be redeemed year-round for Starbucks beverages and food.