admin, Author at Woohoo Gifting Blog

How To Beat Last Minute Gifting Stress?

Yes, we know the score. We’ve been there. In fact, we’ve all been there. No matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to remember to wish your family and friends on every special occasion, in a timely manner. Sometimes we forget to buy gifts for our loved ones’ special days till it’s too late. Then we end up making an appearance without a gift in hand, offering apologies no one really wants to hear. How about if we tell you that you will never have to face this situation again in your life? Would you believe us? Please do. Here’s why.

Welcome To The World Of E-gift Cards

An e-gift card is a gift card that’s delivered electronically. They’re the quickest way to gift someone you love something truly special, without making any compromises. So many top brands are offering e-gift cards these days, including American Swan, Allen Solly, Helios, Hidesign, Himalaya and many, many more. Surprised? Don’t be. Product and service companies are fast catching up to people’s gifting needs. So now you can sit back in your chair, stretch your legs, browse over 50 top national and international brands and order your e-gift card. As simple as that!

What Happens After You Order An E-gift Card

Once you place your e-gift card order, your gift recipient will receive an email containing your e-gift card details. He or she will receive the e-gift card number, gift amount, e-gift card expiry date and other relevant information in the email. Now all that your gift recipient needs to do is to take a printout of the e-gift card, and head out to the gift brand’s nearest outlet. The great news is that most of our gift brands have outlets in several cities across India as well. Several brands allow multiple shopping trips on a single e-gift card number. This means that your recipient doesn’t have to use up the whole amount in one go.

It Gets Even Better, People!
Many brands have online stores as well, which accept e-gift cards. If the brand you’ve chosen has an online store, your recipient can shop online within seconds of receiving the e-gift card. Isn’t that cool? So let’s see how many brands have online stores. There’s Himalaya for one, then BasicsLife, Flipkart, MakeMyTrip, YepMe, Elle, and Fastrack – ok, we really cannot list them all! There are quite a few. So get on board and purchase an e-gift card for your loved one today. There are birthdays to think of, and festivals, and special occasions and events – start e-gifting and sit back, totally stress free.

Here Are Some Great Ideas For Corporate Diwali Gifts This Year!

Clients, employees, partners, vendors, customers – your gift list gives you the shivers, doesn’t it? How to find suitable gifts for all the people on your list in time for Diwali? Who’ll manage the shopping, the gift-handling and the overall logistics of it all? What protocol do you follow for handing over the gifts? Who decides which gifts will be appropriate?

Yes, We Do Understand

And then again, what if you choose a gift that an important client doesn’t like at all? How do you plan on handing over each person’s gift? Courier them to residences or hand them over in person? The questions never end, do they? Nor does the logistics nightmare, especially if you are handling sensitive people.
We definitely do understand why you get more stressed-out the closer we get to the biggest festival of the year. Everyone in your list will be expecting some tokens from you. You don’t want to offend anyone, and you definitely don’t want to make anyone feel un-appreciated, or worse, under-appreciated. If this burden is on your shoulders this year, you really need to hear what we have to say!

Reduce Your Gift-buying Logistics Burden

The logistics aspect of corporate gift buying and gift giving can become nightmarish if you allow them to. Allow us to help you.

Make a list of the people you want to gift this year and assign a budget to each person.
For important clients and partners, add a column that indicates their interests – for example, electronics
Indicate your recipient’s location in another column.

Make your life easier – just opt for gift cards, e-gift cards, gift vouchers or e-gift vouchers from top brands. Get them delivered to your address and you can then hand-deliver the gifts to your recipients. Purchase e-gift cards for long-distance recipients.

Eliminate The Dilemma Of Choice As Well!

If you are not sure of which brand to choose for a recipient, just opt for the Woohoo gift card or the Woohoo e-gift card. Using these cards, your recipient can purchase gift cards, gift vouchers or e-gift cards from any brand on Woohoo.in. That makes your gift their choice!

Some Fabulous Brands To Consider For Diwali

Here are some great brands you can look at, for perfectly appropriate gift options for your corporate gift recipients:

1. Electronics: Flipkart, Croma, E-zone

2. Books: Landmark, Flipkart, Amazon, Sapna

3. Health & Fitness: Four Fountains Spa,

4. Travel: MakeMyTrip

5. Eye-wear: Titan Eye+, Fastrack, Shoppers Stop, Jabong

6. Restaurants: Spaghetti Kitchen, Bombay Blue, Noodle Bar, Copper Chimney

And many, many more! Don’t forget to check out the special Woohoo Diwali gift cards as well. A whole bunch of surprises in store for you there!

What Do You Plan On Gifting Your Loved Ones On This Ganesh Chaturthi?

Ganesh Chaturthi’s just around the corner and we cannot wait to celebrate. Who can resist the cherubic Lord Ganesh and his love of sweets? It’s a festival that’s equally dear to the young and the old. Everyone wants to deck up in their best and give and receive gifts! Know what you want to buy for your loved ones?

Not Sure? Here Are Some Great Ideas For You

1. Books

Too many kids are moving away from the real world these days, preferring to find their escape in video games. A selection of wonderful, motivational books will be perfect for the young ones in your circle.

When it comes to the elders in your circle, consider gifting them inspirational or devotional music. Nothing soothes the older generation than beautiful, melodious devotional music.

2. Apparel

Know anyone who doesn’t like to deck up on a festival day? Probably not. So go ahead and splurge on top fashion apparel brands. There are so many to choose from! Check these out – Allen Solly, Club America, Elle, Westside, Planet Fashion, YepMe – the list is endless!

3. Jewelry and Watches

How about gifting some precious gold and diamond jewelry and top branded watches to your loved ones? Consider brands such as D’dmas, Tanishq and the world-famous Joyalukkas. When it comes to watches, consider Helios and World of Titan for fine watches and Fastrack for fashionable, youthful watches.

4. A great shared experience!

Ganesh Chaturthi is a day for families and friends to get together and celebrate. What better way to do that than to enjoy a fabulous meal together? Consider gifting your loved ones a great meal at Bombay Blue, Copper Chimney, Pizza Hut, Spaghetti Kitchen, Noodle Bar, Ebony and other restaurants. You can see everyone smiling in anticipation already, can’t you?

Here’s How To Make Gifting Easier This Year

Whether you’re residing in India or abroad and whether you’re close to your loved ones or far, you can still send them the gifts of their choice. Do it simply and easily via gift cards. It’s easy – buy a gift card, gift voucher or e-gift card from the brand your loved one favors. Let them choose their own gifts from the store outlets. E-gift cards are delivered within minutes, so they’re perfect for last minute gifts. So just go ahead and celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi this year, knowing that gifting will never be a problem again.

Stay Sharp, It’s The End-Of-Summer-Sale Season!

It’s the end of summer sale season! This is the best time to grab hold of top summer brands at a fraction of their pricing, at ridiculous discounts. It’s the smartest time to shop for gifts for your loved ones as well. There are offers everywhere! What better time than to buy gifts, than when you know you can get two birds with one stone? When you know you can make your loved ones happy and save money?

So What Are These Offers And Where Are They?

Good question. Of course you want to know what these end-of-summer sale offers are and where they are and who’s offering them. Well, get ready. Here it comes.

Everyone’s favorite department store, Lifestyle, has an upto 50% sale right now. Yes, you heard right. Upto 50% on several brands and a wide range of goods.
Then there’s Central Mall with upto 51% off on many brands and goods store-wide.
Love the formal look? Don’t wait a single minute more. Head out to Van Heusen and you get one shirt for every 2 shirts you purchase.
Denim lovers, take heart. Levi’s got discounts up to 50% store-wide on jeans, jean jackets and more!
And those of you who love to spend the entire day browsing Westside’s goodies, there’s even better news. Westside’s got an ongoing upto 60% off sales right now.

That’s Great, But How To Choose The Right Gift?

Now you know where to find great end-of-season-sales discounts. Your concern is how are you going to se
lect the right items for your loved ones? You cannot accurately predict what they’ll like, can you? That’s where we come in. Don’t bother to select anything for your loved ones. Just get them gift cards and gift vouchers from these great brands! Let your friends and family members enjoy a nice shopping holiday browsing at their favorite stores for what they like. Could it get better than that?

Here’s How You Can Become A Smart Gifter

There’s the gifter, and there’s the smart gifter – what’s the difference? The smart gifter is one who understands that all offers are for a limited period. The smart gifter is savvy enough to make use of every available hour. So how do you become one? Now let’s see – Van Heusen, Westside, Lifestyle and Levis offer both gift cards and e-gift cards. Grab an e-gift card from one of these brands now and let your loved ones shop today itself. Howzat for smart gifting!?

QwikCilver to Launch Prepaid Gift Cards for Multiple Brands

As appeared in retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com on 23rd June 2014 by Radhika P Nair.

————————————————————————————-

Gift card technology startup QwikCilver Solutions is set to launch a prepaid gift card that can be used across multiple brands. The company is also piloting a mobile wallet that can be used to pay for products at offline stores.

QwikCilver provides the backend technology that powers the gift card business of retailers and brands like Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Westside, Titan, Croma and others.

The company received a prepaid wallet licence from the Reserve Bank of India last year. But TP Pratap, cofounder and chief marketing officer at Bangalore-based QwikCilver, said such a licence is not needed by a brand that is issuing a gift card redeemable at its own stores.

“When it (a prepaid card) is to be used at stores of multiple brands the authenticity of the issuer becomes important. Now with the licence we can launch such a card,” said Pratap. Under pilot at the moment, Pratap said the company’s over 90 clients are ready to partner for this service. QwikCilver has already issued a gift card that can be used to buy products from multiple sellers on online marketplace Flipkart.

The gift card industry in India is expected to grow from the current 2,500 crore to about 9,000 crore in three years according to industry estimates.

“There is a good market for gift cards in the country and a product that can be used across multiple retailers will help increase the popularity of this product,” said Arvind Singhal, chairman at retail advisory Technopak. At present banks and plastic money operators like HDFC and American Express offer prepaid instruments that can be used for shopping.

QwikCilver intends to launch this product next quarter. It also plans to launch a mobile wallet that can be used at multiple retail stores.

Build Up from a Sound Core, the ‘Angels’ Are Interested

As appeared in The Hindu Business Line on 5 May 2014, by Jessu John, when QwikCilver managed 500 crore transactions on gift cards across all retailers and partners in last fiscal.

————————————————————————————-

Well-thought-out ideas offer investors the incentive to fund at the seed stage. It is widely perceived that seed capital is hard to come by for entrepreneurs in India.

We’ve also discussed here previously how product development and manufacturing receiving support and investment are going to be good for this economy.

A good number of reports and books published on early-stage funding as well as conversations with various stakeholders reveal relatively mature ecosystems have more seed capital available than entrepreneurs here enjoy.

In early February, we looked at how BrizzTV attracted interest and commitment from Ojas Venture Partners. The start-up had displayed deep thinking and had a sound plan for leveraging the power of the television platform in India.

The core & beyond
QwikCilver Solutions, a technology product platform company, is another enlightening case. The company is in the business of providing end-to-end stored-value-card solutions to its retail and corporate customers.

What QwikCilver seems to have addressed early on is the question of how it will go beyond developing a solution and actually grow its connect with end-consumers. According to Chief Marketing Officer Pratap TP, QwikCilver now services nearly 90 per cent of the retail sector, especially department stores such as Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle and Westside and also brands such as Flipkart, Yahoo! and PVR Cinemas.

“The DNA of the organisation is technology, but we also took on the mantle of category creation and distribution for our clients. Our clients are actually our partner brands. From design, procurement and warehousing of cards to enabling digital gift cards, we’ve thought around all of it,” shares Pratap.

Since kicking off operations in early 2009, QwikCilver has received three rounds of funding from Helion Venture Partners and Accel Partners.

Prashant Prakash, Partner at Accel Partners, says: “What we like about QwikCilver is that their value-proposition was razor-sharp. They saw the large opportunity in gifting very early and over the last five years have grown to be the largest provider of gifting solutions in the retail and corporate space. QwikCilver is now a technology-cum-consumer business because they’ve built direct touch points with customers.”

Keeping investors hooked
QwikCilver’s Pratap admits that in spite of retail being perceived as a sunrise sector, the first two years were difficult just because of natural sales cycles in the beginning. The company has seen 300 per cent growth year-on-year for the gift card category.

Although the department stores give QwikCilver large returns, the growth in the e-commerce sector with Myntra, Flipkart and others has been sizeable.

QwikCilver managed 500 crore transactions on gift cards across all retailers and partners in the last financial year.

Four million cards across 300 cities and points of sale even in non-metros is the company’s latest count. As a next step, QwikCilver is keenly looking at the mobile platform. “With mobile platforms becoming open to gift cardholders and access to a variety of gifting instruments becoming possible, the gifting market will grow.

“As investors, we tend to get in at the seed stage. So, with most of our investments, we go in early and stay for about 10 years,” says Accel India’s Prakash, indicating the firm is in no rush to exit QwikCilver. If anything, these stories show investors are not averse to seed investments.

Some of them are even seen to be displaying commitment for the longer haul.

It’s important that entrepreneurs think deeper about the strength of their ideas.

Valentine ’s Day – Gifting loved ones exactly what they want

Come February and love is definitely in the air. With Valentine’s Day lurking in the corner, the smell of red roses fill the air, and so does the anxious, happy faces of those who are waiting for 14h February with abated breath. The day dedicated for love has lovers waiting to declare and express their feelings, surprise their loved ones with a well planned day and exchange gifts that show they care about each other. Valentine ’s Day is a special day to celebrate the universal feeling of love. Love, which Pablo Picasso fondly described as ‘the greatest refreshment in life’. Truly, there is no other feeling quite like love and a day dedicated to it, is just what it deserves.

18^th century England saw lovers presenting flowers and greeting cards and gifts to one another. This tradition continues to this day as well. Over the years, 14^th February has often been chosen by lovers and couples to declare their love, express their feelings and even get married. The day is usually well-planned with pink and red clothes out of the closet, gifts are kept ready after months of careful selection, restaurants booked well in advance and calendars booked solely for this purpose.

When it comes to gifting, gift cards too are quickly gaining popularity. Gift cards from Woohoo.in are all the rage because it helps you choose gift vouchers, customize them with personalized messages and send it to your loved ones. Gift cards from Woohoo.in prove to be quite a boon especially on the occasion of Valentine’s Day when the greatest question seems to be ‘Will they like this?’ With Woohoo.in gift cards one has the convenience to choose the amount, particular brand or category of gifts. Gift cards are a unique way to show you care because you give your loved ones the freedom to choose.

So this Valentine’s Day pick up a gift card from a multitude of choices from Woohoo.in. They offer gift cards from shopping places like Shoppers Stop, Westside, Lifestyle that have a huge collection of gifting options for everyone – right from personal accessories, clothing, perfumes, ethnic wear, shoes, bags and what have you. You can also choose from well-known brands, movie houses, wine and dine places, Spas as well as florists and chocolatiers. Make their day special with a gift card. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Celebrating Occasions and Cherishing Friendships at Woohoo.in

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”
― Elbert Hubbard

How many of you agree with this quote? Wouldn’t you count on your pals to stand by you through the roller-coaster of life? True friends are your treasured companions who have unconditional affection for you. Shouldn’t you make an effort to make them feel wanted and important in your life.

The Wonders of Internet to Help Cherish Your Friendship

Thanks to modern technology you can connect easily with your friends and make new friends too. Many of your friends who were with you in school and college are reconnecting through various social media platforms such as Facebook and others. Woohoo.in gives you the opportunity to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and festival in a grand and fun filled manner. There are a variety of gift cards and vouchers to suit the tastes and preferences of your friends. You can choose either physical gift/voucher cards or e-cards from the Woohoo gift cards bouquet to send it to your friend.

Cherishing Your Loved Ones

Life is a long journey and you need true friends who light it up. Sending thoughtful and personalized gift to your friends spreads a lot of good cheer and fun. They will always remember you as someone who stands by them through thick and thin. Is your friend’s birthday around the corner? You have not found the time to shop for a gift. Fortunately there is woohoo.in from where you can dispatch gift cards in a jiffy. It is a very user friendly, and you can send personalized gift cards to them. These cards are sure to be well received. Create a stir and strike the right chord by choosing gift cards from Woohoo.in.

Gifting Pointers

An invaluable tip – tailor your gift to suit your precious friends unique persona and stage of life. How about a deluxe and ritzy Titan watch for the busy bee? A package tour from Makemytrip would make the day for the adventurous and outdoor kind. An elegant diamond pendant from Tanishq is sure to entrance the bride to be. A cooking rookie will be more than happy to get a high-end hand blender from Prestige Smart Kitchen. If your pal is planning to renovate his home spring a surprise on him with a generous Home Stop voucher. Clinch your friendship with a memorable gift from our vast and versatile repository at www.woohoo.in

Corporate Gifting: On Time, On Budget Solutions with Gift Cards

Corporate gifting has truly come of age today. Many firms give thoughtful gifts to their valued employees. After all they constitute the internal customers of the company. It is a great way to show appreciation for their loyalty and hard work. Employees definitely feel recognized and needed by their employers. This practice is rapidly spreading across the corporate landscape.

Many employees would appreciate a small gesture of thank card to a larger prepaid gift card around Holidays and occasions. It makes them feel elated. As a HR you know that cash bonuses or raises are not feasible when an employee have put in a stellar performance. But gift vouchers fit any budget. HR who understands the tastes and interests of the employees can purchase an appropriate card as a token of appreciation from Woohoo.in.

Corporate Gift Cards: Small Gestures Go a Long Way

How do they make employees happy?

The small gestures such as a gift card on the birthdays or anniversaries do wonder to his pride. An employee feels touched and would want to improve his productivity on the work front. If the HR is not sure about the preferences of the employees she/he can send out emails of commendation to the employees and give them option to choose from several gift cards. This is the great way to reward them. Here the employees will enjoy choosing their own reward from the given list. At Woohoo.in, there is a plethora of gift cards ranging from apparel, jewelry, restaurants, food chains to home decor.

Not Just Special Occasions

What other occasions does a gift card serve?

It’s just not for festivals and anniversaries when the companies show token of appreciation. These days, after a long and stressful month, if a team has completed their task on time, the HR either hands out a group gift card for lunch or dinner at a fancy restaurant or individual gift cards. For such memorable events, it is always better to keep a stockpile of gift cards for dining or an outing with family. These small gestures that come in short burst are more powerful incentive for the employees than a bonus or a hike in salary at the end of a year.

Woohoo.in is the one stop shop and solution for all your gifting needs and ideas. It’s mission is simple – make gifting easy.