Voucher boom for fickle teens

Frustrated parents appear to be taking a far more calculated approach to the festive season this year.

Retailers say sales of gift vouchers are double what they were a year ago as people give up on choosing presents for picky loved ones.

Aucklander Darlene Shaw, mother of 13-year-old Olivia and 16-year-old James, said that while she would like to cling to the tradition of having a surprise under the tree for her children, the reality made it a waste of time.

"If I bought Olivia something under the tree that she didn't like I would suffer with 'the look' and the 'what were you thinking', and 'oh my God, you're not expecting me to wear that?"'

She said she had thrown in the towel and now gave vouchers, especially for clothes.

Shaw said vouchers also came in handy for her son. "How do I remember which game he's actually got for his PlayStation?"

Having learned from her mistake of buying a game James already had, and then suffering the ignominy of having to try to persuade the shop where she bought it that the $90 game had not been used, Shaw said she was not about to make the same mistake again.

Vouchers were also an ideal present for nieces and nephews living in provincial areas who she saw only occasionally, because she got out of touch with their tastes.

It appears to be an approach many New Zealanders share.

Sales of gift vouchers at Botany Town Centre, in Auckland's east, have doubled on this time last year.

Marketing manager Georgina Pellett said while the centre would have sold around $3000 worth on a weekend day last year, that figure had now risen to about $6000.

Shopping centre LynnMall, in the west of the city, has been promoting the convenience aspect of gift vouchers, and sales are up on last year.

"People are getting more organised with their gift giving, and know that probably people are quite fickle, so gift vouchers are the safest way to go," said marketing manager Linh Luong.

Luong said LynnMall had also seen more corporates buying vouchers as incentives or bonuses for staff.

The increase in sales is not confined to the shopping malls. Gift voucher sales at upmarket department store Smith & Caughey have been rising for several years, and have increased by 20 per cent in the past two years.

Executive director Terry Cornelius said there had also been a significant rise in corporate gift giving. "Corporates are always looking at ways to recognise and reward their staff. This is a nice way of doing it, and it's not a cash remuneration, which could have tax issues."

The Motor Trade Association said it had seen a 10 per cent increase in sales of its MTA gift vouchers.

One of the reasons might be the widespread perception of rising fuel prices and the financial burden that placed on everyone, said spokesman Andy Cuming.

"In today's environment of high fuel costs, getting some petrol vouchers has enhanced value," he said.

Sports clubs are also making more use of gift vouchers to reward volunteers. Howick and Pakuranga Netball Centre in East Auckland has bought nearly $3000 worth recently and gives them to its coaches, managers and umpires as a thank you.

Secretary Pam James said the club increased the amount it gave this season, to around $150 a person, and the feedback had all been positive. "They're over the moon to get a voucher, rather than, you know, get a gift that maybe they've got before," she said.

Meanwhile, Botany Town Centre said one unexpected aspect of the gift voucher boom was that many people were redeeming them on everyday items.

The week before last, $3000 worth of vouchers were used in the supermarket, said Pellett. "People are redeeming them in the foodcourt of all places, you know, at McDonald's, which is just crazy, and in the supermarkets and stuff like that on necessities.

"Previously we wouldn't have got that."