Sales of gift cards and vouchers grew during quarter four (Q4) 2009, according to sales data from the UK Gift Card and Voucher Association (UKGCVA).

The business-to-business sector, where gift cards and vouchers are commonly used as corporate gifts, rewards and incentives, saw an increase of 2.8%.†

One significant area of growth within this sector was the gains of open-loop gift cards with sales up by 70%.

Overall for Q4 2009, sales of gift cards and vouchers grew by 3.7% when compared to the same period in 2008.†

Andrew Johnson, director-general of the UKGCVA, said: "The market growth for the gift card and voucher sector in 2009 is very pleasing after what was a very difficult year for business right across the board."