Blackhawk Network Partners with Virgin Experience Gifts to Bring Gift Cards to Market in the U.S.

Virgin Experience Gifts expands range with options across the country

PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With the demand for experiential gifts continuing to rise with consumers¹, Blackhawk Network and Virgin Experience Gifts have announced a new partnership that brings gift cards from Virgin Experience Gifts to retail consumers in the U.S. in time for this year’s holiday season.

Already an experiential gifting market leader in the U.K., Virgin brought experiential gifting to the U.S. in 2021 and has seen rapid growth, adding more than a thousand experiences this year. Further proof that experiential gifting is increasing in popularity: a Sitecore 2021 holiday trends report¹ found 71% of people surveyed say they don’t need more stuff and would prefer an experience as a gift.

Now, a gift card option makes gifting experiences even more convenient. The Virgin Experience Gifts gift card is a flexible way for consumers to gift one-of-a-kind adventures and experiences that are special and customizable. Virgin Experience Gifts offers more than 3,000 experiences across the country, from adrenaline pumping adventures like bungee jumping and sky diving to relaxing sunset catamaran sails, as well as an extensive exotic car driving collection, national parks tours, a large variety of lessons, sightseeing opportunities and food and wine tasting tours. To cater to a variety of different opportunities, the recipient will have the option to purchase multiple experiences up to the limit of their gift card balance, meaning plenty of opportunity for sharing and exploring.

“Our partnership with Blackhawk Network is an exciting new opportunity to continue expanding the reach of Virgin Experience Gifts in the U.S.,” said Richard Hurd-Wood, CEO of Virgin Experience Gifts. “We have seen exceptional growth in the past 19 months since we launched in the U.S. and the ability for consumers to easily gift a unique experience through the purchase of a gift card provides a fantastic option heading into the 2022 holiday season.”

New holiday gifting research conducted by Blackhawk Network found surveyed consumers plan to spend nearly half (46%) of their holiday budget on gift cards—an economically resilient and top gifting option for 2022². Additionally, the research points to the continued trend that consumers view gift cards as a more thoughtful gift than cash.

“The ability to expand gifting options to include the incredible experiences offered by Virgin Experience Gifts is a fantastic new option for consumers to take advantage of,” said Brett Narlinger, global head of commerce at Blackhawk Network. “Consumers are increasingly looking for new, unique gift options for friends and family during the holidays, and the ability to give customizable experiences and travel is a core growth opportunity for Blackhawk Network in delivering incredible gift card options.”

To learn more about the new Virgin Experience Gifts gift card options, visit https://www.giftcards.com/virgin-experience-gifts-gift-card or www.virginexperiencegifts.com/gift-certificates

About Blackhawk Network

Blackhawk Network delivers branded payment solutions through the prepaid products, technologies and network that connect brands and people. We collaborate with our partners to innovate, translating market trends in branded payments to increase reach, loyalty and revenue. We reliably execute security-minded solutions worldwide. Join us as we shape the future of global branded payments. Learn more at www.blackhawknetwork.com.

About Virgin Experience Gifts

Virgin Experience Gifts offers a wide range of fully vetted experiences to ensure thoughtful, creative gifts the recipient will love. Formerly Cloud 9 Living, the company was acquired in March 2021 and is now part of the Virgin family. Virgin is a pioneer in the experience gifts category since 1988 and is currently the number one experience gift provider in the UK. The company joins the Virgin family of brands including Virgin Hotels, Virgin Voyages, Virgin Hyperloop, Virgin Galactic, and Virgin Orbit. Visit Virgin Experience Gifts to find out more.

¹ “2021 Holiday Trend Report” was published by Sitecore in 2022.
² “2022 Holiday Gifting Report” was an online study conducted by Leger on behalf of Blackhawk Network in August 2022. The sample size included 2,001 respondents ages 18+.