admin, Author at Woohoo Gifting Blog

Gift a Fabulous Travel Experience with Thomas Cook Gift Cards

Know someone in your friends and family circle who is a workaholic? Someone who has not taken a vacation break in a long time? Or Someone who thinks that a vacation means going far away, travelling a lot and getting more exhausted? Then, what could be a more perfect gift for him or her, than a travel gift card from Thomas Cook. Thomas Cook India is one of the leading online travel management companies helping travellers to book international and Indian holiday packages, hotels and flight tickets online.

As the giver, all you need to do is send a Thomas Cook e-gift thomas cook gift card card from Woohoo.in. Your recipient gets your e-gift card instantly along with the terms of validity and your special message. Your gift recipient can easily redeem this e gift card for domestic or international holidays. It will also allow the recipient to book hotels and flights. Your Thomas Cook e gift card covers the entire gamut of the travel experience.

Offers on Thomas Cook Gift Cards

Now, get 10% discount on Thomas Cook gift cards and e-gift cards. Use the code TCPROMO in the checkout page to avail this discounts in a matter of time.

7 Housewarming Gifts That Only Add Clutter To A New Home!

It’s true that 9 out of 10 well-meant housewarming gifts will only add clutter to homes. Check out this list of 7 gifts that fall into that category. Have you bought one of these gifts at some point for a loved one for their housewarming?

1. That Unavoidable Dinner Set!
Honestly, doesn’t every home already have a dinner set? Some families have more than one, with a special dinner set tucked away for occasions. Can you imagine what it’s be like when 4 or 5 guests gift dinner sets as housewarming gifts? How many dinner sets can a family use in a lifetime?

2. Kitchen Crockery
Most families already own a reasonable set of kitchen crockery. Even if they don’t, they would probably prefer to select the pieces they want. Your well-meant gift of crockery items will be appreciated, but will most likely be relegated to the attic or gifted to someone else.

3. The Picture Frame That No One Wants
Many people get picture frames as housewarming gifts – these are sometimes hung on walls no one notices, or put away. Seldom are these picture frames actually placed in an area of prominence. Why waste money on a gift that will not be appreciated the way you intended it to be?

4. Storage Boxes
Many new home owners carefully select their storage boxes according to their home décor theme. So unless you are in tune with the planned décor and buy the exact boxes the homemaker wants, your gift will only add to the home’s clutter.

5. Linen
Homemakers choose linen according to their home décor theme. Gift them linen that clashes with their chosen theme and it’s usually tucked away where it’s not visible. Surely you want a better fate for your expensive housewarming gift?

6. Art Décor Items
That statuette of the dancing girl might seem exotic to you but your recipient might find it tacky, even embarrassing. You probably spent hours in a fancy shop looking for a pretty art décor piece. Did you ever imagine that your gift will never see the light of the day?

7. Flower Arrangements
Nothing adds clutter to a home as too many flower arrangements. Why spend a great deal of money on something that’ll fade in a few days and will not add value to your friend’s home? Surely you can do better than that?

Move away from the traditional housewarming gift

So, what is that perfect housewarming gift? Opt for gift cards or e-gift cards and leave the gift choice to your friends and spare them the expensive clutter. These days, you can buy gift cards from top brands including huge department store brands. Go ahead, give them the power of the choice and sit back, knowing your gift will be used, appreciated and loved!

Check out the top brand gift cards here.

4 Awesome Gift Ideas for the Workaholic

If we asked you to pick a gift for a workaholic buddy, what comes to mind? No, no! Not a whip or anything weird like that! Yup, you want to give your distracted buddy a jolly good jolt, but do it in such a way that the message gets across. Workaholics Day is coming up, on 5th July. So, get those creative juices flowing. We’ve a bunch of gift ideas for your workaholic pal that you’re just going to love!

1. Stress Buster Candle Lights

Your workaholic pal won’t take time to light real candles, so get the battery-operated ones that never go out. They’re delightfully scented too – we recommend eucalyptus or spearmint fragrance for stress busting. Not sure if he’ll like the fragrance you pick? Just gift him a Flipkart e-gift card and let him choose one!

2. Box Of Gourmet Cookies

Here’s the thing – even workaholics need to eat. But they often forget this very important task. It’s the darn chair – it simply doesn’t want to let them go. Point out gently that a large box of gourmet cookies will be just the thing to keep those hunger pangs at bay, and present a Big Bazaar e-gift card. Listen to the grateful crunch, crunch of cookies being demolished one by one. How about that for live appreciation, huh?

3. Grouchy Bear Mug

Gift your office-dwelling mate a personalized mug with a grouchy bear’s image on it. Every time your buddy drinks coffee, they’ll see the bear and know who it refers to. Knows he’s been neglecting you. Not able to find a grouchy bear mug? Never mind – just send your pal a Café Coffee Day e-gift card and let him or her choose a cool mug for coffee!

4. Potted Plants

Ooh, we see you’re looking strangely at us. What! Deliver lovely potted plants to a workaholic who’ll never water them? No! A succulent, such as a cactus, does not need to be watered. A cute little cactus will bring some greenery in your boring busy buddy’s life – maybe it’ll even cheer him or her up a bit and you can reap the rewards. Not sure which succulent will be nice on his desk? Just send him an Amazon e-gift card with a personal note saying you’d like him to pick a lovely succulent for his desk. Job done!

The Best Gift for the Workacholic

It’s really nice that we’re having a special day for workaholics. Let’s make it extra special for them this year. If you are not sure what your workaholic colleague is going to like, just buy a Woohoo e-gift card; he or she can just go crazy buying a gift card from the 100+ brands on Woohoo.in. It’ll get delivered to your buddy’s email inbox in a second. It’s like an instant gift! No hassle, no worries and no stressing over which gift to buy. Could you ask for more?

The World Is Not Enough: Corporates, enterprises and institutions in India have been the fastest adopters of the new age Gift Card Technology Platforms.

The Indian Gift Card industry has seen the quickest adoption in the Corporate and B2B world. This is expected as the Gift Card is an incredibly powerful reward and loyalty tool for the corporate world. Take the case where Abhishek Sinha, National Sales Development Manager,Britannnia was faced with a massive and a highly heterogenous network of distributors and wholesalers spread across the country. To have a system that would accommodate the requirements and choices of each one in that vast network definitely gives an edge for the business and the loyalty the brand strives for. A parallel situation was experienced when Kotak Mahindra Bank wanted to gratify their diverse set of customers whenever they opened a savings account. Prasanth Tandon, SVP, Kotak Mahindra Bank, credited Qwikcilver and the Woohoo E-Gift Card for enabling instant customer gratification and permanent customer satisfaction. Though similar in size and number, the distributor network which has been critical for the success of a brand like USL-Diageo, has not had its fair share of rewards. The problem stemmed from the low penetration of technology amongst the largely ignored last mile of distribution.

B Sridhar, who is the Chief Digital Marketing Office at Diageo-USL, employed solutions from Qwikcilver to effectively tackle the problem and in the process has earned the loyalty of his last mile distributors. Closer to the corporate world, employees and their happiness is what keeps Kankana Baruah, Chief People Officer, Tally on her toes. A happy workforce requires much motivation and employee rewards form a crucial part. From the days of “Cash gifts” to physical gift items which quickly get tagged as repetitive, low quality, useless etc.; organizations across are trying to find the smarter way of rewarding their employees. Thee gift card is the start of the solution to this problem and in one stroke addresses multiple issues that arises in employee rewards – inventory management, quality assurance, packaging and operational issues and most important of them all the employee satisfaction. For large organizations like Flipkart the immediate tangible benefit of completely avoiding the inventory management hassles and reducing the cost of the same is a huge factor in going the Woohoo way. Hari Kumar who heads Retail : Electronic Devices, Gaming and Gift cards at Flipkart also adds that the power of choice with the Gift Card in hand is not lost upon the end beneficiary who appreciates the reward that much more. With such benefits backing it, it is no wonder that Gift Card Technology platforms have been adopted the fastest by corporate, enterprises and institutions.

If Tomorrow Comes: Gift Cards Shall be the most preferred gifting choice for Indian weddings & festivals

A tricky question, “Do we really know which gift to get for our loved one?” On this note started the 2^nd panel discussion where the panellists recounted their own funny and not so funny experiences of gifts that have backfired. From personal gifting experiences to gifting experiences at weddings, this discussion had it all. The panel led by our moderator Vasanthi dove headlong into the opportunities and challenges for gifting presented by the Great Indian Weddings. The panelists opined that in India gifting is wide spread activity in India, yet we hesitate to ask for a gift, as is evident from the absence of the concept of Wedding Registry. Srinivas Rao, CMO, Lifestyle pointed out that we Indians meticulously scratch off the price tag before we gift, and hence there is bound to be a hesitation in gifting a value based gift card.

The Indian “gifter” has however started to gift experiential gifts like a spa experience or travel experience especialy during weddings is what Rajshree Bakshi, Global VP – Marketing, Taj Hotels has observed. This same point was echoed by Bimalendu Tarafdar, Marketing Head, Wonderla Holidays and Chetan Kumar, VP, Saavn Media. For KG George, Senior VP, TTK Prestige, whose brand category is already a preferred Wedding Gift, the Gift Card program adds a layer of choice for the consumer of the gift and it also drives footfalls to their exclusive stores. The panelists concurred that while there does exists some reluctance on the part of the customer to pick up a gift card to gift, there is definitely a need for brands to push for innovation in the way gift cards are perceived, sold and experienced in the market today.

Dil Chahta hai: Gift Cards have become an Inherent strategic component of the Portfolio for the Brand & Retailer. How do Brands need to shape up in the new era going ahead?

This was the first panel discussion of the Qwikcilver Gift Card Conclave 2017. The disucssion began with a witty Q&A session by the moderator Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO Retailer’s Association of India, where he engaged the audience on why they chose to gift. The candid answers paved the way forward for the panel discussion.

Gifting is an emotional activity and emotions are fundamental to the act of gifting. Formalizing the act of gifting reduces it to an obligation and takes away the joy in gifting says Rajeev Krishnan, MD & CEO Spar Hypermarkets. Gifting has also moved away from occasions and is now an act which is not bound by any occasion or dates. Any day can be someone’s special day. This change in customer behaviour is one of the most visible changes today says Suparna Mitra, CMO Titan. Titan, a brand known for making a gift out of a wrist watch in India is now engaging with the “impulse gifting” customer.

From being a sort of gamble and lottery in picking out the right gift, today’s customer and consumer is seeking more and more. Flexibility in the act of gifting is most sought after and consumers want to have a flexible gifting option, opine Shariq Plasticwala who heads the Amazon wallet and gift card program. The Gift Card highlights that flexibility. Similarly, a gift card also promotes brand loyalty whilst introducing the brand to new customers. This has been a learning the Future Group, reveals Vinay Bhatia, CEO-Group Loyalty and Analytics. Wrapping up the engaging panel discussion the moderator Kumar Rajagopalan called upon the brands to make use of the opportunity presented by the Gift Cards in taking the business forward as well as grab a greater share of the pie than what is the current situation.

Say it with hassle-free gift cards

As appeared in Khaleej Times on 29 May 2017 by Rohma Sadaqat

Choosing a gift for someone can be a complicated task, as a lot of thought is put into ensuring that you ultimately give them something that they appreciate.

This has led to many buyers opting to purchase a gift card as it minimises the hassle of searching for the perfect gift, and also leaves the choice of gift up to the receiver. The popularity of gift cards has only grown in recent years across the world, and provided players in the industry with a very valuable ecosystem. Qwikcilver, a technology product company pioneering end-to-end gift card and stored-value-card solutions for retail customers, has been riding the wave for many years now, both in India and most recently in the UAE.

With its flexible SaaS platform and in house capabilities, Qwikcilver manages the entire gift card programmes of retailers including design, storage, and transactions pertaining to it. Co-founder and chief marketing officer, Pratap TP, says the company has established and is leading 90 per cent of the gift card market in India. “Qwikcilver is the only provider of end to end solutions that address the technology, business, e-commerce, corporate distribution, and social commerce needs, as well as the omnichannel presence for brands and retailers. Qwikcilver has always tried to bridge their partnered brands and the consumers through technology.”

Asked about how the idea for Qwikcilver came to be, Pratap said that the company had been mapping the consumer needs for gifting and the existing state of retail markets across key markets, later embarking on changing the way gifting is enabled across the retail environment. The company established itself by mapping the needs of the market at every stage, thereby, ensuring that the needs of the ecosystem are pro-actively pioneered across more than 20 consumption segments for gifting.

The company was founded in Bangalore, India, in 2008, before making its foray into the UAE market in 2015, when it was selected as a gift card technology partner at the Middle East Retail Forum in Dubai. The company soon launched a gift card programme with Sharaf DG, Novo Cinemas, and Al Futtaim.

The biggest challenge that the company faced, Pratap says, was driving adoption at multiple levels – enterprise level, business unit level, cross functional level, and ultimately by the consumer.

“The excitement for a startup is only triggered by the complexity of the game on hand. The pavement pounding over the years and the confidence reposed in our platform and by our customers through the years has driven our mission,” he said.

The company has entered the GCC market with the intent of providing cutting edge technology for gift cards to brands and corporate groups across the region.

“Our intent is also supported by the fact that we have recently set up office in Dubai. This will boost our scaling up strategic partnerships with the leading and most trusted conglomerates and brands. We are now working on scaling up this presence with a local presence and a dedicated team in GCC to support and expand this fast growing market for Qwikcilver. This would be our first overseas foray outside India. This office will service existing clients as well as work on growing the business in the GCC region,” Pratap disclosed. Qwikcilver’s unique approach has helped them attract investors, who are eager to see what the company has planned for the future. “The commitment and pioneering role of Qwikcilver in establishing its strong leadership of the prepaid and gift card industry has been truly unique. The strong credentials and passionate team has helped build and grow a robust SaaS product company based from India,” said Kirill Kozhevnikov, MD of Insitel/Sistema Asia Fund Advisory.

Pratap noted that the company will continue to work closely with its investors, and had recently closed a fund raise that will ensure the company’s scaling initiatives over the next two years. The Qwikcilver Technology Platform is currently deployed across the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Egypt across a number of companies and consumer brands in the fashion retail, electronics retail, hypermarkets/supermarkets, luxury retail, and entertainment spaces. The company is currently working to launch innovative gift card programs for leading hotels, fashion retailers, and e-commerce brands in Middle East in the coming months.

“We would continue to work closely with our investors, who are reputed on the global markets,” Pratap said. “We are honoured to have their backing and confidence in the proposition for the long term. We have recently closed a fund raise that will ensure the scaling initiatives over the next two years. We are also constantly innovating to suit the consumer needs and also ensure that brands have all the means to reach their respective target audience.”

Asked what advice he would like to pass on to the new start-ups of today, he said: “Stay passionate; build a sustainable long term vision and business; and stay humble, stay hungry, and stay strong.”

Introducing the all-new Group Gifting feature

Gifting in groups is practical and advantageous. It is usually preferred because it enables the gift givers to gift better and higher value gifts to the recipient, without being too heavy on individual pockets. It also saves people the trouble of having to think about individual gifts. Bigger the group, better the collective kitty.

But again, group gifting has never been hassle-free. Bigger the group more complicated is the process of coordinating and collecting the individual amounts to get the gift. It inevitably leads to someone shelling out more money on behalf of another and the awkward situation of having to follow up for the money to be returned (ask anyone who has taken the initiative of organizing one!).

Group gifting Made Easier

Woohoo’s Group Gifting feature aims to save one from such situations. It simplifies the whole process of pooling in and gifting to the intended recipient. With each individual pooing in his / her share directly, the whole situation of “who owes what and to whom” is avoided. This makes group gifting simple and hassle-free, with the recipient receiving the total amount put in by each of the individuals.

How Group Gifting Works

group gifting, gifting in groups

The steps involved are pretty simple. First, you “Create a Group Gift”, enter a few details and choose from the various e-gift card designs available (or even add your own photographs). Then you “Invite Friends & Family” by sharing the link via Whatsapp, email, SMS or social channels. The invited people can click on the link and put in their shares, along with their individual messages. Once everyone’s done contributing you can send the total amount in the kitty as an e-gift to the recipient. For a more detailed guidance, you could refer to the step-by-step guide for using the group gifting feature on Woohoo.in or the Woohoo app.

Benefits of an E-Gift

One of the best things about an e-gift is that the recipient can choose whatever he wants with the amount that he receives. With a Woohoo e-gift card the receiver could choose gift cards from the brands of his choice, such as Amazon, Myntra, Shoppers Stop, Dineout, Lakme and the like. Which means the range of options to choose from is wide – be it apparel, electronics, books, home furnishings, dining or salon services. So why limit them to a gift of your choice. Let them take their pick from a whole lot of things that you can offer with a gift card.

FAQ

What is a Group Gift?

Group Gift allows you to invite your friends and family and ask them to pool in money for a gift. You can then use the pooled in money and send out a Woohoo gift card to the recipient. Recipient can use Woohoo Gift card to purchase gift cards of his choice in Woohoo.in and App.

Is there a limit to the number of people in a group gift?

No, there is no limit to the number of participants.

Is there a limit to the contribution amount?

Yes, the limit is Rs.2000 per person.

Is there a limit to the Group Gift amount?

Yes, the limit is Rs.20000 per gift.

Which gift card is sent out to the recipient?

Recipient always receives a Woohoo gift card. He can use this Woohoo gift card to purchase a gift card of his choice.

My group gift is in progress. What does this mean?

It means that this group gift is open to receiving contributions. You can still invite your friends and family to contribute to this gift.

How do I know what is the total amount contributed?

In the group gift page you will see a Gift Kitty which will tell you the total amount that has been collected thus far.

What is the last date to contribute?

Last date can be set by the person who initiate the group gift. Contributions to the group gift will not be accepted beyond this date.

Can I club my gift kitty amount with other payment options?

No, currently you cannot club gift kitty with other payment option.

Is Group Gift available on iOS?

No, group gift functionality is currently available on Android and Web only.

What is the gift now action?

If you are the initiator of the group gift then you can send the gift card to the recipient by clicking on the Gift Now button.

How do I resend the gift card to the recipient?

Resend functionality is available on the app. Just access the group gift which you want to resend via the group gift menu and you will see an option to resend the gift card.

Download the Woohoo app and register

Click on “Send Group Gift”

Click on “Get Started”

Enter a few details

Upload a picture from your gallery or select one of the templates. Then click on “Start Group Gift”.

Add your contribution to the gift kitty.

Invite others via Whatsapp, SMS or social media.

The invited individuals can put in their contributions, along with messages in text or voice.

The final amount in the kitty can then be sent as an e-gift card to the intended recipient.