Stores in the UK manage to pocket approximately £350m every year from gift cards that for some reason remain unused. Sometimes gift cards get lost, expire, but sometimes the stores that issued them go out of business so people who get a gift card are advised to use it as soon as possible. This way they stand the biggest chances to spend them while the shop is in a position to honor it. In the UK a lot of people prefer to give a gift card than to give money, although money is almost always the better option because it is more flexible and it does not have an expiration date. The main problem with the gift cards is that often shops close down their operations so gift cards become worthless. A spokesperson from the UK Gift Card and Voucher Association said younger shoppers between 18 and 35 were driving the growth of gift cards, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Gift cards do give people an opportunity to pick something they need or cherish, so in a way, gift cards may prevent undesired presents from reaching a landfill.