September 2012 - Woohoo Gifting Blog

Woohoo Newsletter

Greetings!

This month QwikCilver powered E-Gift card programs for leading brick and mortar as well as online retailers! E-Gift Cards are not an alternative to physical Gift cards but give consumers an added gifting option!

Café Coffee Day team along with ‘Café Moments’ fans had a lot of mouth watering ‘Barfi’ Moments!

Read on to know more…

Peter England is the first brick and mortar retailer in India to have launched E-Gift Cards. These can be purchased from www.woohoo.in and www.peterengland.com and redeemed at any of the Peter England stores in India.

India’s largest youth fashion brand, Fastrack also launched Fastrack E-Gift cards powered by QwikCilver to provide an instant gifting option to their consumer base.These E-Gift cards are redeemable across all Fastrack stores in India.

Yepme.com which is India’s first online fashion brand for apparels, footwear & accessories launched its E-Gift cards.QwikCilver powered its E-Gift card program to enable its discerning consumers to gift E-Gift cards to their loved ones that can be redeemed on their e-com portal.

Benefits of E-Gift Cards:

An instant gifting option wherein the customer can send the electronic gift card to his friends, family members and associates anytime, anyplace!
A very good gifting option for last minute shoppers, couch potatoes and also NRIs who want to gift to family and friends in India.
Extremely useful for Bulk /Corporate orders; no physical inventory of Gift cards required and the E-Gift card numbers can be generated in no time.
Drives new customers to the stores/e-com portal.
Customers can be offered the choice of choosing their own E-Gift card design.
Useful for promotions- saves on cost of physical Gift Card as well as time of implementation

Ramakrishnan, President Marketing, Cafe Coffee Day along with the stars and Director of ‘Barfi’!

The ‘Cafe Moments’ Prepaid Card program for Cafe Coffee Day launched in association with QwikCilver has been successfully accepted in more than 1200 Cafe outlets across India!

This success has been driven by unique programs for consumers such as association of Cafe Moments program with the popular movie ‘Barfi’. The fans got an opportunity to meet and greet the stars in different cities of India!

Gift cards are an employer’s best gift to their employees on different occasions such as Birthdays, Festivals, and New Year as Gift Cards enable them to buy what they want!
Looking for a gift for newlyweds? Help them celebrate their new lives together with taste. They will definitely love Gift Cards of prominent department stores and lifestyle brands.
Thinking of what clothes to buy for your new-born nephew whose one almirah is already full of over-sized clothes, present a Gift Card.
Your wife’s overworked and you want to help her rewind and rejuvenate; she would be pleased to receive a salon Gift Card from you.
Your brother-in-law is a sports enthusiast; what better way to please him than gifting a sports lifestyle brand Gift Card that would help him to nurture his passion.
Want to give your sister and her husband a break from the monotony of life, a movie Gift Card would be a great escape.
It takes a lot of effort from the host to pull off a great get-together. Show your appreciation for the fun time by presenting a Gift Card to the host.
You have been assigned the task of planning gifts for the monthly kitty party- look no further! Just go ahead and present a Gift Card.
Tired of giving sweets to your friends and relatives on festivals; start giving Gift Cards to enhance the euphoria of festivities.
Here’s the secret to Happy Married life…present a jewellery Gift Card to your wife. Need we say more!
Your next door neighbour was instrumental in making your kid’s birthday bash a phenomenal success and now you want to give her a small token of appreciation. Look no further, simple present a Gift Card to delight her.
Your father is feeling low a few months post his retirement; it would be a great idea to present a Gift Card to buy things that will help him to further his hobbies. He would definitely feel younger and excited.
A friend with artistic pursuits has invited you for dinner; it might be a great idea to present a Gift Card to laud her efforts.
Almost at wit’s end on what gift to purchase for baby shower, a Gift Card would definitely please the parents-to-be.
Missing your niece/nephew on Children’s Day; send them Gift Cards so that they can buy gifts of their own choice.They will be more than delighted to have a caring aunt/uncle like you!
Having sleepless nights as you are unable to get ‘that’ exciting gift for your girlfriend on her birthday; a Gift Card would be a sure shot hit with her.
Thinking of ways to delight your parents on their anniversary of which you cannot be a part, present a Gift Card with your personalized message to light up their day!
Every Teacher’s Day, you are filled with fond memories of your favorite school teachers; Go ahead and send them Gift Cards to show them that they are always valued.
You are running from one meeting to another and also wondering on what gift to send to your associate on his birthday-simply order a Gift Card online. It’s that convenient!
Your friend puts on weight as easily as he loses it and now you are at your wit’s end thinking on what size of shirt to gift him on his Birthday; reduce your perplexity by giving a Gift Card indeed!
Your sister loves dressing up; why not give a premium apparel brand Gift Card and continue re-loading it for different occasions – birthdays, festivals, anniversary etc. She will be proud to have a sister like you!
You have to attend a function of a distant relative possibly meeting for the first time and feeling awkward at giving cash; why not give a Gift Card which is like cash, yet a more elegant gifting option.
Your brother got a promotion, what better way to congratulate him and appreciate his hard work than sending a Gift Card to him!
Going for your first date and don’t know what gift to carry for your friend, a Gift Card would be a smart and safe bet!
Wondering what kitchen appliance to give to your friend who is an enthusiastic cook, present a Gift card and let her choose her gift!
Want to surprise your college friend who lives in a different city on his birthday, a Gift Card with your personalized message would surely convey how much you miss and care for him even today!
Busy planning for a surprise birthday party for your spouse and at your wit’s end on deciding a gift for him/her, present a Gift Card and enjoy the party!
Struggling to figure out what color/size/design of purse would be preferred by your mother-in-law; give a Gift Card instead and let her enjoy the shopping!
A Gift card is an ideal present for a family who is moving out of town and in the process of downsizing goods; it takes up virtually no space and they can easily buy stuff with it once they arrive in their new city.
What better way to convey your heartfelt thanks to your team members, for meeting a difficult deadline, than giving a Gift card with your personalized message!
If you are struggling hard to find a suitable gift to be given for your neighbor’s son’s wedding; then buy a Gift Card and sit back and enjoy the wedding!
Your sister has got a new job; she would be pleasantly surprised and elated on receiving a Gift card from you on her first day to work!
Want to make truce with your loved one after a heated discussion, look no further- just give a Gift Card along with your sorry message!
Your wife’s put in a lot of effort in hosting a party for your friends on your promotion, now it’s your turn to express your gratitude to her. Need we say that women love shopping and are on cloud nine when they get Gift Cards!
It’s your niece’ first Birthday and you are miles apart- send a Gift Card online and let your family know how much you care for them!
Gift Big with a Gift Card on Valentine’s Day! What happens next is better left to one’s imagination!!!
This year surprise all your school friends & college friends by sending them Gift Cards during ‘Friendship week’-All to say ‘It’s good to be together’!
Are you looking for ‘the perfect gift’ for your mother on ‘Mother’s Day’? Your search stops here as a Gift Card from a premium accessory brand would bring a million dollar smile on her face!
Meeting your nephew/niece after a long time and wondering on what size of dress to pick for him/her. Present a Gift Card instead and let them choose their own gift!
Your friend has got a promotion. What better way to delight him/her than giving a Gift Card of a leading apparel brand!
Not in town for your anniversary and totally perplexed on how to send a Gift to your spouse. An E-Gift card would be the best Gifting option!
Can’t make it to your best buddy’s birthday bash-please him/her with a Gift Card to show him/her that you care!
Your sister who is a sports enthusiast is feeling low. What better way to cheer her up than giving a Gift card of leading sports lifestyle brand!
Your father is very special to you and you want to give him the best Gift on ‘Father’s Day’. Is there a better gift than the gift of choice-the Gift Card!
Pleased with your teams’ efforts of creating an outstanding product- Why don’t you delight them with a Gift card along with your personalized message? This team is sure to stick by your side!
Even after asking a number of times, your father is delaying his yearly vision test- what better way to drive him to the optical store than giving a Gift Card from leading Eye wear brand. He will be overwhelmed to have a caring son/daughter like you!
Your colleague is brimming with joy on the birth of his baby. Time for you to add to his joy by instantaneously sending him an E-Gift card of retailers offering baby products.
Your niece has excelled in board exams- why don’t you add to her happiness by presenting Gift Cards of premium brands and let her bask in the glory of her success!
Wondering on what gift to give to a person who has almost everything – Gift card will be the best choice!
Delight your sister with a Gift Card on Rakshabandan and she will be amazed to see your lovely choice of Gift.
Wondering on what gifts to send to your parents during festivals? Send them a Gift card Hamper having Gift cards of leading national and International brands and let them splurge on themselves!

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Make Every Occasion Special — Gift Ideas

Most people go all the way when it comes to giving birthday gifts. They open their purses wide and buy the most extravagant gifts for their loved ones. Ever wondered why that is?

Gifts And More Gifts

Ask Mariah Carey’s once-upon-a-time boyfriend, Prince Azim of Brunei and he’ll tell you. The good prince ordered an exclusive diamond set for her 36th birthday, which cost him $5.4 million. Of course, Mariah’s happiness knew no bounds, but the prince was in seventh heaven!

Gifting Is A Great Experience

Gifting is part of human nature – whether it’s a gift of time, attention, items or whatever. We feel happy when we gift something to someone we like. We make it easy for people to gift items from a range of brands, all from the comfort of your home.

Why Say No To Happiness?

Think about it – ranging from electronics (Croma), home furnishings (HomeStop) and sports goods (Nike) – your gift options are endless. So why say no to happiness? Give them a thoughtful gift–buy a gift card or gift voucher for something they crave. Watch their happiness and feel that warm, sunny glow surround your own heart.

The Diamond Necklace – A Precious Gift

Women all over the world love to wear a beautiful diamond necklace to special parties and celebrations. A well-designed diamond necklace is statement of taste and class.

The Story Of A Custom-Made Diamond Necklace For Kareena Kapoor’s Birthday!

Saif Ali Khan asked his jewelry designer sister, Saba Ali Khan, to create a custom-made—one of a kind—diamond necklace for Kareena. Saba Ali Khan couldn’t design something great in time for Kareena’s birthday. However, Kareena did get her special diamond necklace. In fact, she got a one-of-a-kind, antique gold, diamond and precious stone necklace that had been in the Nawaab of Pataudi’s vault for generations! Of course Saif was very thrilled with it, because not only was it a very special necklace, but it was rare because of its royal history.

Tell Your Own Story Through A Similar Gift

A great piece of jewelry always carries a bit of history with it. Whether the piece has been lying in a vault for 100 years, or whether it’s newly created, there’s always some story attached to it. The story begins with the concept, the design and the emotion behind it. Each piece of jewelry is like the lyric behind the song. This year, when your wife or girlfriend’s birthday comes around, be prepared to tell your own story. Buy a generous gift card or gift voucher in advance – think in terms of Tanishq or D’dmas. It’s the best way to commemorate your love and to create an heirloom that someday will be passed on to your third or fourth generation.

Gift Cards For Fun Birthday Parties

Hollywood celebrities throw unforgettable birthday bashes, and invite everyone they like. Rihanna, the beautiful pop artist threw a huge bash for her 22nd birthday. Her then boyfriend Matt Kemp presented her with a fabulous diamond necklace and ordered a huge cake in the shape of a tattoo. There were belly dancers and caricaturists and fire-throwers – one could be quite forgiven for thinking it was a carnival, not a birthday celebration!

Throw A Birthday Bash In Style

Throw a birthday bash like a celebrity because a party is a shared experience and people seldom forget great experiences. When you share the joy of a special occasion, the joy is multiplied many times over.

Create Your Own Version Of A Birthday Bash

For the next birthday in your group, get everyone to contribute and buy gift cards or gift vouchers for various fun group experiences. How about going for a movie together at PVR cinemas with friends and enjoy a superhit film. You can also plan on a group dinner at the fabulous rooftop restaurant, 13th floor. Spending time with people you care about is a heart-warming experience! A gift card from Landmark, Central for the birthday boy or girl will add to the wonderful moments of togetherness.

The Gift Of Ganesha

Great news for those of you that love classy Titan watches! Order a World of Titan gift card and you’ll not only get a fabulous gift card, but also a special, attractive Ganesha art deco, absolutely free! The World of Titan and Woohoo.in bring you this offer together to make your Ganesh Chaturthi truly special. The promotion is on till the end of Sunday, 23rd of September! Hurry Up And Grab Titan’s “Gift A Ganesha” Gift Card!

Why We Welcome Lord Ganesha To Our Homes

Ganesh Chaturthi is a truly blessed day for Indians; on this day, Indians pray to Lord Ganesha to remove obstacles from their path and help them reach unhindered success. It’s an auspicious day, when negative forces are driven away and positive light enters people’s homes. Lord Ganesha is worshipped as the destroyer of evil, and the provider of success.

It’s a special day for gifting as well – whether it’s a gift of books for young children or jewelry or classy watches for men and women. People enjoy and revel in the prosperity that Lord Ganesha brings to their homes by gifting each other. Consider buying Titan gift cards for your loved ones this Ganesh Chaturthi. After all, isn’t Lord Ganesha the god of positive change and good times? What better gift than gift cards from Titan this Ganesh Chaturthi?

Celebrate This Ganesh Chaturthi In Style

Who could say no to Lord Ganesha? The divine form of Lord Ganesha is welcomed in all homes throughout India, whether it’s in the form of a statue, a painting or an art deco piece. Increase the blessings on your home tenfold; bring Lord Ganesha home along with your Titan gift card!

Gift The New Hindi Film Heroine

Are you all set? The movie ‘Heroine’ is all set to release on September 21st, promising us all a delicious new version of Kareena Kapoor, and we simply cannot wait! It seems Madhur Bhandarkar has a knack for making good movies. Ever since the movie promo on August 15, Heroine has sparked intense curiosity. People are comparing this movie with Vidya Balan’s “The Dirty Picture”, based on Kareena’s sassy role in this movie. Let’s find out, shall we? The wait is over!

Why This Movie Is Going To Rock

The movie Heroine traces the ups and downs in the journey of a Hindi movie superstar in the present day. Who better to do justice to this complex role than our own sizzling-hot and so very talented Kareena? Apparently Kareena portrays a woman who is strong and fragile by turns. Madhur Bhandarkar, the director, has been waiting to work with Kareena since seven years now and finally he got the chance with Heroine. The YouTube promos of Heroine have been viewed 27 lakh times by people and the director is hearing great reviews from them.

Plan Your Movie Date With Heroine In Advance!

This is just the movie to catch with your girlfriend, wife, husband or boyfriend. It is a gorgeous movie which sees Kareena in her glamorous avatar. The talented actress also gives a deeply emotional performance in the film. Go ahead and buy a gift card from PVR Cinemas right now and surprise your special one with it. With the PVR Cinemas gift card in your pocket, you’re all set; watch Heroine, enjoy the samosas or the popcorn and tell us how it went!

Note: This video is from Utv Motion Pictures and Bhandarkar Entertainment. Copyright vests with respective copyright holders.

Imran Khan Gifts Himself A Home Renovation!

Actor Imran Khan turned 29 years old on 13th January, 2012. As a birthday gift to himself, Imran has been renovating his family home, at 24 Pali Hill in Bandra, Mumbai. The bungalow is an heirloom from earlier times, occupied once by the great filmmaker Nasir Hussain, Imran’s grandfather. No wonder Imran and all the other Khans are very attached to the old house, and wanted to refurbish it and retain its old world charm and past memories.

A Home Is The Foundation Of A Family’s Joy

Memories are very important; memories of building one’s own home and memories of setting up one’s home. These memories stay on for a lifetime, as hallmarks of a fresh, new beginning. That’s why housewarmings are so important, whether you’re renovating only a few parts of an old home, or setting up a brand new home. It took several months to renovate and rebuild their ancestral home, but Imran Khan and his wife Avantika Malik saw it through. They had their housewarming function and a grand party later, where their loved ones gifted them many wonderful things for their newly renovated home.

Participate In Your Friends’ Joy In Their New Home

As you can see, it doesn’t matter whether someone is a famous and rich personality, or a regular person like you and I. What matters is that the emotions that drive us all are the same. It’s all about our family, our loved ones and our homes. Make your friends’ housewarming functions truly memorable. Buy gift cards from Home Stop or TTK Prestige via Woohoo.in. Open the door to a wide range of home furnishings, decorations, kitchen implements and much more for your friend. Complete their joy in their new home.

Time Is A Precious Gift- Jolie And Pitt

News has it that Brad Pitt splurged £250,000 on a custom-made, super-luxurious Patek Philippe watch for Jolie. The watch is crafted out of pure gold, and has a mother of pearl dial; it is designed to chime the hour exactly like the Big Ben tower in London. The Geneva-based Patek Philippe watch company makes some of the most expensive watches in the world.

That Isn’t All!

They hand-picked some truly expensive drinks for their wedding ceremony, and weeks before, they ordered matching wedding rings costing £ 1 million each! Think about the sheer grandeur and the romance of their intent!

How about taking some hints from the Jolie-Pitt plans for your best friend’s wedding? Get everyone to pool in their funds in order to get gift cards from Tanishq, Asmi or D’dmas for matching wedding rings. Is there anything you cannot gift when you consider Woohoo.in’s gift card options?

QwikCilver featured in Outlook Magazine

The Outlook Business Magazine published an article in September 2012, highlighting QwikCilver as one of the main players in the $403.8 million prepaid gift cards and vouchers market in India. While the article talks about ‘Sodexo passes’ and its wide acceptability, the focus is now shifting to plastic gift cards.

On A Growth Trajectory

QwikCilver, as a leading stored-value-card solutions company, serves millions of corporate employees in India; and is also the parent company of Woohoo.in, the online megastore for gift cards and gift vouchers. QwikCilver has tied up with more than 60 retail brands in over 250 locations across India, which makes it the leading provider of gift cards in India.

Prepaid Gift Cards Versus Sodexo Passes

The article takes a look at how ‘Sodexo passes’ were used as currency at retail stores for meals and much more. However retailers don’t welcome ‘Sodexo passes’ anymore due to high handling costs. On the other hand, plastic gift cards are reusable and rechargeable. They come with magnetic strips which means they can be swiped on any credit card swipe machine.

As the article explains, this reusable aspect is why prepaid gift cards are a popular employee reward in corporate circles. Previously, companies used to hand out gift vouchers as birthday or anniversary gifts. These companies now see the value of preloaded, reloadable plastic cards that can be used for multiple brands at department stores. Such gift cards reduce costs for the company and also lessen fraud and misuse. Transcending the corporate world, plastic gift cards are also becoming popular with consumers, as they provide the much needed freedom and convenience while shopping for gifts.

Link to the original article in Outlook Business here

A Rewarding Business

Republished here on: 12 September 2012

As appeared in September issue of Outlook Business. By Michael Correya.

Why prepaid gift cards are becoming popular as an employee reward

Remember when Sodexo passes had become a sort of al- ternative currency? Companies doled out the meal vouchers as a form of tax-free compensation and the coupons gained acceptance virtually everywhere — you could use your Sodexo passes to not only buy a meal, but also your groceries, medicines, consumer electronics and clothes. And then, retailers tired of the high handling costs and delayed payments from Sodexo and stopped accepting the vouchers. There are murmurs that the French company is back in action in India, but it’s still muted.

A Swipe Ahead

Gifting market in India $30 billion
Prepaid gift cards and vouchers market in India $403.8 million
Growing at 30% a year

Source: Global Prepaid Exchange

Meanwhile, a similar concept is gaining popularity — prepaid gift cards. Gift vouchers from individual retailers and brands have been around for ages but they come with riders. You can’t use a voucher in part, there’s a time limit by when you have to redeem the amount gifted and it can’t be used across all stores.

Which is why companies that used to hand out gift vouchers as rewards or gifts (on birthdays, for instance) are now opting for plastic cards that can be preloaded and used for multiple brands — and reloaded for further gifting, if required. “Services like these help companies reduce costs and also eliminate fraud and misuse,” says Jayanth Narayanan, vice-president and MD, Asia Pacific operations, Rideau Recognition Solutions.

While several banks, including ICICI, SBI and Axis, and card company American Express offer preloaded gift cards, some pure-play gift card companies have also set up shop, seeing the growing demand. Bengaluru-based QwikCilver Solutions, for instance, is the largest provider of retailer gift cards and employee reward cards and finds business is booming. “We have tied up with over 50 brands in more than 250 towns across India,” says TP Pratap, chief marketing officer, QwikCilver, proudly. That includes big labels such as Titan, Madura Garments, Flipkart, Shoppers Stop, PVR Cinemas and Café Coffee Day. QwikCilver also provides employee reward cards for companies such as 3M, ICICI Prudential, Intel and CA.

It works like this. The client selects the retailer or brand whose card will be distributed among employees. The money to be loaded on the card is transferred to the retailer, who passes on a 1-2.5% commission to the cards company immediately. The company earns the same commission if the card is reloaded. For the retailer, though, the expense goes beyond the commission: it has to integrate IT systems and instal swipe machines for the gift cards, which can cost upward of Rs 10 lakh.

Sodexo’s popularity slipped with employees when it came under the scanner of the tax authorities. It remains to be seen how long the gift cards reign flourishes.