Scheme will drive traffic
Coinstar, the company behind the supermarket-based coin-counting service, has signed WHSmith to its Gift Card Mall programme.

The giftcard centre consists of a display rack of popular high street retailers including department stores, clothing and electronics as well as experience cards, such as holidays, sporting events and moviegoing.

It will give WHSmith an innovative way to drive traffic, sales and profits in the store. In addition, it also creates a way for consumers to buy gifts, in the form of gift cards, for friends and family.

Coinstar managing director Alex Camara said: 'By teaming up with WHSmith we have access to one of the biggest names on the British high street. The UK Gift Card Mall programme represents an important new development in Coinstar's UK product offering and allows us to share our gift card expertise with WHSmith.'

WHSmith commercial development director Ian Sanders said: 'As leaders in the giftcard market it is a logical move for us to sign with Coinstar's Gift Card Mall service. Coinstar's US experience will put WHSmith into an even stronger position to take advantage of this rapidly growing market.'

The UK giftcard market is expected to grow from£3 million last year to approximately£2.1 billion in 2007, according to Giftex Research 2005.

The Gift Card Mall will launch this month, with a nationwide roll-out in more than 540 WHSmith's stores, and additional UK retailers are expected to sign-up over the coming months.