NEW YORK CITY – Gift cards continue to be a popular gift for moms, dads and grads, and convenience stores can capitalize on this trend by incorporating these simple yet effective suggestions from First Data Corporation.

Use POP signage, banners and even yard signs in and around your location to remind customers that you have gift cards for sale. Messaging could include “Need a great gift for Mom?” or “Reward that Special Grad in Your Life.”

If you have a website or market via social media, use banner advertising and messaging to drive sales into your location. Create a social media contest by asking consumers to post their favorite picture of their mom, dad or grad. Social engagement and the reward of a gift card can build a bond between the consumer and the brand that lasts longer than the holiday.

“The moms, dads and grads season from April through June, is one of the key seasons in the gift card calendar,” Euphemia Erikson, head of product marketing for First Data’s Network and Security Solutions line of business, told NACS Daily. “Providing a great assortment of cards throughout the year is key to program success, but providing a great assortment of graphic treatments and designs that generate excitement and ignite the desire to purchase during the moms, dads and grads season can drive incremental revenue through the summer and into the fall, as those gifts cards are redeemed.”

Here are some additional ways to use point-of-purchase signage and displays of gift cards:

• Display the cards in multiple locations throughout the store.
• Organize your card display so that it is easy for shoppers to browse your selection and find the occasion card they need.
• Train your clerks to ask customers at checkout, “Do you want to purchase a gift card?”