MAY 2019 NEWSLETTER
The conclave has ended. The conversations haven’t.
How many wall-clocks have you stacked in your cupboard? The karma of a bad gift is such that the gift never leaves the gifting circuit. It will be re-gifted, again and again. Instead of re-gifting, why not re-imagine gifting?
It is on this note that the 3rd edition of Qwikcilver Gift Card Conclave began. Along the way, a zillion things were discussed, discarded and decoded. We have identified key questions that were raised, and statements proclaimed during #QCGC19. We hope these will set the stage for our future gift card conversations. We call these the ‘thought-locks’.
But first things first. The conclave set an unprecedented record in the number of gift card launches and other such initiatives. In all, we witnessed 13 brand launches!
Now for the thought-locks.
That gift cards have changed the way consumers gift is well known. What is little understood is the fact that gift cards have changed along the way. From being an alternative to traditional gifts to being an alternative to traditional payment instruments, gift cards have come a long way. The burning story is that gift cards are now being preferred as credit containers over traditional ones for easy EMI options, by digital lending platforms.
Retail person-to-person (P2P) gifting occupies only 20% of the entire gift card market in the country. The entire gift card market is just a speck of the entire gifting market. There is more than ample room for growth. Remember this.
Probably the ‘find of #QCGC19’ is the discovery of the piggybacking of P2P gift card usage. Thanks to the humongous market share of corporate gifting (80% of the country’s gift card market), P2P gift card usage owes its steady growth to corporate gifting in the form of reward cards. This has instilled in the retailer customer the habit of preferring gift cards for gifting occasions.
Gift cards are uniquely placed in the gifting space. Not only do they gratify instant gifting, thanks in no small measure to the rise of digital gift cards, but also they enable deferred consumption. A gift card can be redeemed at any time within its period of validity. In addition, the initial loaded amount insures against infinite deferral, as in when the consumer fails to redeem it. Shankar Balan, President, Core Business, Qwikcilver Solutions, calls it the ‘committed commerce’.
Lastly, the importance of digitizing government-to-public (G2P) payment space, not to forget the crucial role played by the regulatory authority, in enabling the adoption of digital payment solutions.
Qwikcilver in media
Be ready to be transported. The story of Qwikcilver is a story against odds. In this Origins episode of Accel India Insights, Kumar Sudarsan, CEO & Co-Founder, Qwikcilver Solutions, take us on a journey through time. Along the way, he reveals in his trademark style the challenges faced, the lessons learned, and the history made. Watch it below. Accel India Insights has also published an article on Qwikcilver’s journey. Please click on this link and dig into it right away.
Meanwhile, business as usual.
Indian Launches
Happiness is...launching Happy Valley Gift Card Program. |
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We are now the reason behind Happy Valley Gift Card Program.
Happy Valley Tea Estate is nestled in the Himalayas at an altitude of 6,400 feet. The fresh mountain air, the dreamy mists, the clear spring water, and the warm, cheerful sun unite to infuse Happy Valley tea with its unique flavour.
The tea is majorly exported and in India is sold through premium tea boutiques and their e-commerce portal.
The program is powered by QwikGifTSx. QwikGifTSx can launch physical gift cards, as well as digital ones that can be delivered through email or even SMS. Let us know if you are interested in launching your own gift card program.
Happy Valley Tea Estate is nestled in the Himalayas at an altitude of 6,400 feet. The fresh mountain air, the dreamy mists, the clear spring water, and the warm, cheerful sun unite to infuse Happy Valley tea with its unique flavour.
The tea is majorly exported and in India is sold through premium tea boutiques and their e-commerce portal.
The program is powered by QwikGifTSx. QwikGifTSx can launch physical gift cards, as well as digital ones that can be delivered through email or even SMS. Let us know if you are interested in launching your own gift card program.
It is ‘-on’. |
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The Kurl-on Gift Card Program.
Kurl-on, eponymous with mattresses, is one of the largest Home Furnishing brands in the country. The company manufactures mattresses in 126 different configurations. Pan-India, they have partnered with a network comprising of more than 10000 dealers, 1100 EBO’s, 72 branch and stock points, as well as 9 strategically located manufacturing facilities.
The gift card program is currently live at the company's e-commerce portal, while plans are in place to make it available across their POS (both offline and online) systems by early next week.
The program is powered by QwikWebStorex. QwikWebStorex is a powerful gifting e-commerce suite to power gift card transactions. It contains essential features such as Group Gifting, Scheduled Gifting, Occasion Templates and more. Qwikcilver manages all the operations aspects, including hosting, server management, and payment gateway integrations.
Kurl-on, eponymous with mattresses, is one of the largest Home Furnishing brands in the country. The company manufactures mattresses in 126 different configurations. Pan-India, they have partnered with a network comprising of more than 10000 dealers, 1100 EBO’s, 72 branch and stock points, as well as 9 strategically located manufacturing facilities.
The gift card program is currently live at the company's e-commerce portal, while plans are in place to make it available across their POS (both offline and online) systems by early next week.
The program is powered by QwikWebStorex. QwikWebStorex is a powerful gifting e-commerce suite to power gift card transactions. It contains essential features such as Group Gifting, Scheduled Gifting, Occasion Templates and more. Qwikcilver manages all the operations aspects, including hosting, server management, and payment gateway integrations.
It’s a deal! |
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Snapdeal’s wallet program, SnapCash is out now.
Snapdeal is the country's largest online shopping marketplace. It sells an assortment of 35 million+ products across 800+ diverse categories, to millions of users and 300000+ sellers in 6000+ cities and towns.
SnapCash is powered by QwikWalletx. QwikWalletx enables business owners in retail & e-tail space to consolidate their currencies and offer a unified shopping experience for the end customers.
Snapdeal is the country's largest online shopping marketplace. It sells an assortment of 35 million+ products across 800+ diverse categories, to millions of users and 300000+ sellers in 6000+ cities and towns.
SnapCash is powered by QwikWalletx. QwikWalletx enables business owners in retail & e-tail space to consolidate their currencies and offer a unified shopping experience for the end customers.
Can you see us...smile? |
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The Beer Café Gift Card Program is now live! Catch the story here>>
Founded in 2012 with a vision to stimulate communities towards fun and responsible drinking culture, The Beer Café is the largest, fastest-growing alco-beverage service brand in India, pouring over 50 plus brands from 20 countries, in addition to over 40 different cocktails.
The gift card program is powered by QwikGifTSx. One of the main advantages of QwikGifTSx is that it is ‘POS-friendly’. It works in tandem with all the leading POS solutions in the market. Let us know if you are interested in launching your own promotions program.
Founded in 2012 with a vision to stimulate communities towards fun and responsible drinking culture, The Beer Café is the largest, fastest-growing alco-beverage service brand in India, pouring over 50 plus brands from 20 countries, in addition to over 40 different cocktails.
The gift card program is powered by QwikGifTSx. One of the main advantages of QwikGifTSx is that it is ‘POS-friendly’. It works in tandem with all the leading POS solutions in the market. Let us know if you are interested in launching your own promotions program.
Magnificent May!
Magnificent May campaign saw us working with some of the leading brands to promote their gift cards on Woohoo. Pick them out here>>.