AN award-winning gift card company is expecting a busy Christmas as UK shoppers forego the more traditional gifts for experiences.
Little Starts Gift Cards offer customers the chance to buy either a personalised e-card or physical card, which can then be put towards a wide range of activities and experiences for the 0-5s – and their grown-ups – available nationwide. They include art classes, swimming lessons, messy play sessions and coding clubs – that parents and parents-to-be can enjoy with their little ones.
A recent study by global marketing company Awin revealed that, of the 2,000 people surveyed, more than two thirds planned to swap more traditional items with experience-based gifts.
And after a rollercoaster of a year Katie Lavis, co-founder of Little Starts Gift Cards; winners of Marketing Derby’s Rising Star award, has welcomed the surge in business.
Little Start Gift Card’s Katie Lavis
“This year has been challenging for everyone,” said Katie, who lives in Melbourne with husband Simon and sons Olly (4) and two-year-old Jack.
“We pushed hard to get the business established locally and then nationally. Little Starts Gift Cards experienced enormous growth in 2019 and early 2020 but when Covid hit, as a mum-founder, I have had to juggle running the business which, as a digital, remote-based start-up has received no financial support from the Government, with caring for my two small children and wider family as a result of Covid, due to lack of childcare.
“Our class providers had to move on and offline and we have gone in and out of lockdown. They have been totally inspirational in how they have adapted using technology to ensure families feel connected and children continue to have access to fun developmental activities throughout this time.
“Families need something to look forward to in 2021 and are keen to support small businesses, which is great for us and the class providers that our gift cards can be used with.
“We’re getting really busy now as Christmas approaches with customers looking to purchase experiences as gifts rather than materialistic presents.”
Katie came up with the idea of Little Starts Gift Cards just after son Olly was born in 2016 and worked hard on building up contacts across the UK before launching the business with partner Liam Usher, an old school friend, in November 2018.
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“Liam and I go back a long way,” added Katie, “we both attended St Benedicts Catholic School and even our birthdays are in the same month; they’re a day apart from each other.
“I told him of an idea I had for a gift card business, after seeing a gap in the market for experiences which new families and those with young children could enjoy together, and he was keen to be involved; I really value his input. Little Starts Gift Cards was launched the month after I gave birth to Jack and it has been all-go since then.
“Our cards, which can be purchased from just £10, can be used at 2,000 weekly classes nationwide suitable for youngsters from birth to age five.
“Our cards are valid for 12 months, so there is plenty of time for people to use them next year and we have extended the term for people where they haven’t been able to use them with in-person classes due to lockdown as they would have hoped.
“We’re also regulated by the FCA, meaning that our gift card funds are ring-fenced and protected, which is different to high street retailers – we’re a safer purchase.
“We work with small, independent businesses and many franchises of national brands including Puddle Ducks; the swimming group for parents and babies and Baby Ballet. Not only do they make a great present for a parent/parent-to-be or child – whether it’s a maternity/paternity gift, for Christmas, a birthday, baby shower or Christening – these classes also help create precious memories for participants.
“When you are at home with very young children, finding fun ways to fill the time can be a real challenge and these classes can also help to build a supportive network for new mums and dads.”
ENDS
For further information please contact Kerry Ganly at Penguin PR on 07734 723951 or email [email protected]
