Research on gift cards from the Continuous Household Survey
The Department for the Economy provides analysis from the Continuous Household Survey (CHS) in relation to gift cards.
The CHS is a Northern Ireland-wide household survey administered by Central Survey Unit (CSU) of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). It is based on a sample of the general population resident in private households and has been running since 1983. The survey is designed to provide a regular source of information on a wide range of issues relevant to Northern Ireland.
Analysis
Findings are presented from the CHS on the proportion of respondents who had received a gift card and, of those, the proportion who had difficulty spending a gift card and the reasons why.
These tables present findings from three questions relating to gift cards asked in the CHS.
Note: Results presented are based on unweighted figures.
Gift Card 1 - Have you ever received a gift card/voucher to spend in a shop?
(This can include restaurant vouchers, online vouchers ie Amazon voucher, health spa vouchers etc. This does not include any loyalty/reward cards ie Boots points/Tesco points).
| Response | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2019/20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 79% | 76% | 79% | 82% | 77% |
| No | 21% | 24% | 21% | 18% | 23% |
| Total Respondents | 2,433 | 2,526 | 4,099 | 871 | 2,950 |
Source: Continuous Household Survey (CHS)
Gift Card 2: Have you ever had any difficulty spending a gift voucher, for example, if the voucher has expired or the company went out of business?
(Asked if Gift Card 1 question was answered "Yes")
| Response | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2019/20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 10% | 11% | 13% | 17% | 14% |
| No | 90% | 89% | 87% | 83% | 86% |
| Total Respondents | 1,918 | 1,909 | 3,240 | 712 | 2,269 |
Source: Continuous Household Survey (CHS)
Gift Card 3: If yes please provide further information.
(Asked in 2023/24 if Gift Card 2 question was answered "Yes")
| Response | 2023/24 |
| Gift Card / voucher expired | 53% |
| Company closed / new owners | 15% |
| Technical difficulties | 11% |
| Gift card / voucher decreased in value | 8% |
| Gift card / voucher not accepted in shop / online | 6% |
| Other | 7% |
| Total Respondents | 196 |
Source: Continuous Household Survey (CHS)
Further information
Information regarding the CHS can be found on the NISRA website.
Information for users on changes to methodology and factors to consider when interpreting results is available in the ‘Things users need to know’ document and the Technical Report at CHS survey documents.