CVS has introduced virtual gift cards that can be purchased and personalized on CVS.com, then sent via e-mail to recipients who print them out for use in the company’s 6,900 drugstores. The cards cannot be used at CVS.com, at least for now.
Consumers can choose among a half-dozen card styles and personalize a card with the recipient’s name and a message. They then select the amount of value to put on the card, the time of delivery and provide the recipient’s e-mail address. Buyers can also set up virtual gift cards in advance for delivery on upcoming birthdays, holidays and special events.
"We are always looking for products and services that will enhance our customers' experience with CVS/pharmacy," says Mike Bloom, senior vice president of merchandising for the retail chain. "Our new virtual gift cards are an ideal choice for shoppers who want to add a personal touch to a popular gift option. We are pleased to offer this new feature on CVS.com to make gift giving even more convenient."
While the gift cards cannot be used today at CVS.com, “We are planning to add that feature at some point,” a spokeswoman tells Internet Retailer. With 75% of the U.S. population living within three miles of a CVS store, she adds, “it is very easy for the recipient of a virtual gift card to print it out and use it in the store.”
CashStar Inc. provides the technology for the CVS virtual gift card program, the vendor says.
CVS Caremark Corp. is No. 82 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.
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