Rita Simmons, appeared at the Zeek Cash or Kind swap shop in Westfield, Stratford today helping shoppers swap unwanted gift cards for cash or donate the value to The Childrens Trust. Eastenders’ Rita Simons swaps Albert Square for Westfield to launch swap-shop for unwanted gift cards. • Zeek’s ‘Cash or Kind’ store at Westfield Stratford allows members of the public to swap unwanted gift cards for cash to keep or donate the value to charity • 47% of Brits admit they have received an unwanted gift card or voucher, with £300million wasted every year Today, former Eastenders star Rita Simons swapped her market stall in Albert Square to launch a pop-up shop in Westfield, Stratford. The shop allows members of the public to exchange their unwanted gift cards for cash or donate the value to The Children’s Trust, a leading charity for children suffering from brain injury. The swap-shop, open for one day only, was set up by Europe’s biggest gift card marketplace, Zeek, in response to new research showing that 47% of Brits have at one time received an unwanted gift card or voucher, with an estimated £300million of unused credit in the UK every year. The vast majority of unwanted items will be re-sold (23%) or re-gifted (33%), however one in seven (14%) will never see the light of day, gathering dust in drawers or even being relegated to the bin. The gift card swap shop comes at the perfect time of year as, contrary to widespread belief, the most popular week for returning unwanted items is the second week of January, with 15% choosing to wait until the festivities have died down before hitting the high street. A sizeable 70% of us even went as far as to say they actively avoid the shops between Boxing Day and the New Year with half of us citing crowds as a reason to avoid the high street. Rita Simons, who exited the popular BBC soap in an explosive storyline over New Year, opened the shop, as eager shoppers got ready to exchange their unwanted gift
A gift voucher swap shop has been launched in Westfield Stratford which allows members of the public to exchange their unwanted gift cards for cash or a charity donation.
Brits are parting with a massive £300 million a year in unused gift card and voucher credit, new research has found, with 47 per cent admitting to have been on the receiving end of unwanted gift credit this Christmas.
Former EastEnders star Rita Simons swapped her market stall in Albert Square to launch the pop-up shop, which comes at the perfect time of year as the second week of January has been found to be the most popular week for returning unwanted items.
Rita said: “I have a shrewd eye for a bargain –so receiving cash for a gift voucher which might go to waste is a win-win and even better if it can be donated to a good cause.
“It was heartening to see so many generous people kicking off 2017 with a good deed in aid of The Children’s Trust.”
Zeek CEO, Daniel Zelkind, added: “Every year millions of people receive unwanted gift cards that expire before they can be used or just end up in the bin.
“The Cash or Kind gift card exchange brings our online marketplace to life in the real-world, showing how Zeek helps people avoid this unnecessary waste and make money or save money.”
