The prepaid category seems averse to change, according to data from CSP’s 2014 Outlook Survey [CSP—Dec. ’14, p. 97].
Each year, about two-thirds of retailers say they plan to keep their offer as is, and the trend continues.
Of those retailers who plan to make a change, gift cards are a popular addition, while prepaid wireless was most often cited as an area in which to scale back.
Will your prepaid section grow, shrink or stay the same in 2015?
| Stay the same | 64.0% |
| Grow some product categories, shrink others | 14.4% |
| Shrink | 11.2% |
| Grow | 10.4% |
In what areas will you grow your prepaid section?
| Gift cards | 42.3% |
| Prepaid debit or credit | 23.1% |
| Proprietary prepaid card | 16.7% |
| Prepaid wireless | 15.4% |
| Other | 2.5% |
In what areas will you shrink your prepaid section?
| Prepaid wireless | 40.0% |
| Prepaid debit or credit cards | 22.9% |
| Proprietary prepaid cards | 17.1% |
| Gift cards | 17.1% |
| Other | 2.9% |
Source: CSP Outlook Survey 2014
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.