Corporate gift card and voucher sales grew by nearly 6% in the first quarter of 2014, according to the UK Gift Card and Voucher Association (UKGVA).

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Its research, which was compiled by consultancy BDO, found that category specific gift cards generated the strongest growth, up by 7.9%.

Both direct and online corporate sales also saw growth between January and March 2014, up by 5.6% and 3.9%, respectively.

Andrew Johnson, director-general of the UKGVCA, said: “Corporate sales of gift cards and vouchers continue to grow overall.

“This growth demonstrates how more and more employers value the benefits of using gift cards and vouchers to incentivise customers or reward employees.”