Advice by the Slice: Boost End of Year Revenue with Gift Cards This Holiday Season

As the holiday rush kicks in, now’s the time to spotlight an often-overlooked sales powerhouse: gift cards. Whether it's for stocking stuffers, employee spiffs, or last-minute white elephant, pizza gift cards are a holiday home run, and running promos for them is a smart strategy for boosting year-end revenue.

Here’s why they work:
Gift cards are low-lift, high-return. Customers love them because they’re convenient. Pizzeria owners love them because the numbers don’t lie. Most gift card users spend more than the card’s value, and nearly 15%-20% of gift cards never even get redeemed. That’s margin magic.

How to turn them into a holiday hit:

•  Incentivize the Purchase: Run a “Buy $25, Get $5 Free” promo to create urgency and value. These kinds of small bonuses often tip the scale for undecided shoppers.
   
•  Bundle Up: Combine gift cards with branded merch, like t-shirts, sauces, or even a pizza kit. These gift-ready bundles can drive higher average order values and boost brand visibility.
   
•  Promote Like a Pro: Use tools like Adora Cloud to schedule targeted email and text campaigns. Segment by customer type or order history to offer personalized deals that convert.

Visibility is everything:
Put signage at the register, create a dedicated section on your online ordering page, and train staff to upsell them during checkout. A little push can go a long way when time-strapped customers are looking for easy wins.

The takeaway?
Gift cards aren’t just a side hustle, they’re a holiday sales strategy. Make them easy to buy, hard to ignore, and irresistible to give. More gift cards mean more pizza lovers walking through your door, this month and beyond.