Customer Journey Documentation

PublixBuying Gift Cards

Summer 2011 – Adjunct Professor Alisan AtvurBy Scott Chalkley

How do I buy gift cards?

How do I buy Publix gift cards?

In store the experience of buying a Publix gift card was significantly easier. You can see the gift cards almost immediately after entering the store. A quick selection of your card, and you’re at the check-out, ready to go. Online, however, you have to look around the the navigation to find where the gift cards are, then register your mailing and billing address which takes a little time. You are also instructed to read and e-sign an agreement on Publix’s gift card policy, which you’re not in store.

Differences in Navigational Experiences

Surprisingly there were no difficulties in my attempt to find the gift cards. Looking around the store for where I might go from the point I entered, I was able to see where they were located in a matter of seconds.

In-Store Navigational Difficulties

Finding the cards online, however, was slightly more challenging. To be fair though, it wasn’t difficult. I made one mistake: I went to “Save Here” on the navigation bar first thinking I could get a gift card, and I didn’t see anything that said “Gift Cards” anywhere else on the page. I then thought perhaps “Services” would be logical, and it was close to the “Save Here” link, so I scrolled over it and then saw a link for gift cards. And from clicking that, I then saw Publix gift cards.

Online Navigational Difficulties

I think people would get gift cards online and in-store with no real problems. People in Publix, shopping may add a card to their cart when they see it. People online may go to Publix.com solely for getting a card because maybe they don’t even shop there but are getting it for someone who does. If it were me though, I would buy the card in-store out of ease and the probability that I would already be there shopping negates the convenience of ordering it from home.

Opinion