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Foyles to launch electronic gift card

13.11.09 | Graeme Neill

London independent Foyles is launching its own electronic gift cards into stores next week to coincide with its Christmas campaign.

The two cards will be available from next Friday [20th November]. Customers get a card free with a minimum spend of £5 and it comes with a free greeting card. For an extra £2, the card will be placed in a gift box and bag, as part of the retailer’s gift wrapping service.

The cards can be used and topped up in any of Foyles’ four stores across London. The retailer hopes to make the card compatible with internet purchases next year.

Foyles head of marketing Julia Kingsford said: “The launch of the [National Book Token’s] Electronic Book Tokens has been delayed. We thought if that was going to work, we should do our own because Foyles has such a strong brand.”

She added the cards would be targeted as self-purchases as well as gifts. “Money gets a bit tight at the end of the month, so we thought customers could put money on their cards on payday. This way they know they can still buy books at the end of the month.”

One of the cards features founders William and Gilbert Foyle standing outside the bookshop’s original site at 121 Charing Cross Road in 1906. The independent will also kick-start its Christmas offer next week with point-of-sale material featuring the slogan, “For Christmas read Foyles”.

Foyles is planning to launch an electronic version of its "Foyalty Card” next year. Foyalty holders get a stamp each time they spend £15 in store. With 10 stamps, they get £15 off their next purchase.

• Foyles
• gift cards
• Graeme Neill
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