Dominick Lombardi and his wife usually buy his mother-in-law jewelry at Christmas. This year, they're giving her a gift card to the Harmons grocery chain in Utah.
"My mother-in-law takes care of plenty of kids and grandkids, and this is the best gift for her," Mr. Lombardi told the Deseret News.
"In this day and age, with the economy the way it is, the thing you have to do is take care of food and gas," he said. "Everything else is extra."
Mr. Lombardi's mother-in-law will become one of the many consumers who receive a gift card this holiday season. According to the National Retail Federation, cards will be the most-requested gift this year.
"What we are finding in general is that practical gifts are in this year," said Ellen Davis, a spokesperson for the NRF. "So there's no dispute that will trickle into the gift market."
Harmons has seen its gift card sales jump 68 percent since Nov. 1 compared to the same period last year. Rhonda Greenwood, a spokesperson for Harmons, said sales increased "without the support of a media campaign" this year.
Albertsons, with 44 stores in Utah, also reports more demand for its gift cards. Sales are up 20 percent over last year.
Marsha Gilford, a spokesperson for Kroger's Smith's Food and Drug business, didn't provide numbers but did say, "We're definitely selling more Smith's cards for shopping at Smith's."
Discussion Questions: Will grocery store gift cards be up significantly this year and next as a result of the economy? What does this say about the mindset of consumers? Is there a set of best practices for grocers looking to build gift card sales?