Canonical URL: https://giftcard.news/rewards-loyalty/allstar-argues-for-merchandise-choice-in-employee-reward-programs-147ee5ef9d97/ --- description: AllStar’s December 2020 guidance favors tangible and experiential rewards while recommending employee input on program goals and rules. title: AllStar argues for merchandise choice in employee reward programs image: https://giftcard.news/images/social/v1/allstar-argues-merchandise-choice-employee-reward-programs-3ba26046ec325d92e70df4c4b08fe04a.jpg --- 1. [Home](https://giftcard.news/) 2. [Rewards & Loyalty](https://giftcard.news/rewards-loyalty/) # AllStar argues for merchandise choice in employee reward programs AllStar’s December 2020 guidance favors tangible and experiential rewards while recommending employee input on program goals and rules. By [Suzie Elis](https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/) December 15, 2020 1 min read Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Frewards-loyalty%2Fallstar-argues-for-merchandise-choice-in-employee-reward-programs-147ee5ef9d97%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=AllStar%20argues%20for%20merchandise%20choice%20in%20employee%20reward%20programs "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Frewards-loyalty%2Fallstar-argues-for-merchandise-choice-in-employee-reward-programs-147ee5ef9d97%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=AllStar%20argues%20for%20merchandise%20choice%20in%20employee%20reward%20programs%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Frewards-loyalty%2Fallstar-argues-for-merchandise-choice-in-employee-reward-programs-147ee5ef9d97%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![All Star Incentives source illustration for AllStar argues for merchandise choice in employee reward programs](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/allstar-argues-merchandise-choice-employee-reward-programs-all-star-incentives-source-illustration-w1000.webp) Photo: Source: allstarincentives.com [AllStar](https://giftcard.news/company/allstar/) has made the case for curated merchandise and experiences in employee incentive programs, emphasizing the connection between an award and the achievement that earned it. In a December 15, 2020 article addressing recognition during remote working, the provider recommended involving employees in discussions about program goals, required tools and training. It distinguished that input from the sponsor’s responsibility to select which award options to offer. AllStar favored tangible rewards over cash or gift cards, arguing that an item used repeatedly can remind a recipient of the sponsoring employer. It also suggested that employees may be more comfortable sharing news of a merchandise award than discussing a cash payment. These are the provider’s arguments for its preferred reward mix. The article does not establish that every employee responds more strongly to merchandise, or provide a common return-on-investment figure across reward types. Its practical recommendation was to choose awards for the industry and workforce involved, with recognition linked to a stated objective such as sales or safety. AllStar also advocated using incentive specialists to help design the selection and the wider program, rather than treating the catalog as a standalone purchase. ## Sources and documents ExpandCollapse * [Reward Choices Matter: Make a Lasting Impression and Increase ROI](https://allstarincentives.com/reward-choices-matter-make-a-lasting-impression-and-increase-roi/?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news) — All Star Incentives ## In this article ### Companies * [AllStar](https://giftcard.news/company/allstar/) Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Frewards-loyalty%2Fallstar-argues-for-merchandise-choice-in-employee-reward-programs-147ee5ef9d97%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=AllStar%20argues%20for%20merchandise%20choice%20in%20employee%20reward%20programs "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Frewards-loyalty%2Fallstar-argues-for-merchandise-choice-in-employee-reward-programs-147ee5ef9d97%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=AllStar%20argues%20for%20merchandise%20choice%20in%20employee%20reward%20programs%20https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Frewards-loyalty%2Fallstar-argues-for-merchandise-choice-in-employee-reward-programs-147ee5ef9d97%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial "WhatsApp") ![Portrait of Suzie Elis](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/suzie-elis-editorial-portrait-w320.webp) About the author ## [Suzie Elis](https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/) Journalist — Gift Cards & Digital Gifting Suzie Elis covers gift card products, digital gifting and distribution for Gift Card News. From reading to building ## Your next move in gift cards. Tell us what you’re building. We’ll help you explore suitable providers. [Find a provider ](https://giftcard.news/find-a-provider/) ## Related articles [Rewards & Loyalty](https://giftcard.news/rewards-loyalty/) News ### [Giftbit’s Research Incentive Guide Puts Unclaimed Gift Cards and Privacy in Focus](https://giftcard.news/rewards-loyalty/giftbit-research-incentives-unclaimed-gift-cards-privacy/) [Maya Bennett](https://giftcard.news/author/maya-bennett/) September 17, 2026 2 min [Rewards & Loyalty](https://giftcard.news/rewards-loyalty/) News ### [Yoyo Reports Platō Loyalty Results a Year After Card-Linked Launch](https://giftcard.news/rewards-loyalty/yoyo-plato-card-linked-loyalty-first-year-results/) [Maya Bennett](https://giftcard.news/author/maya-bennett/) September 16, 2026 2 min [Rewards & Loyalty](https://giftcard.news/rewards-loyalty/) News ### [Prezzee sets out employee gift card options for work anniversaries](https://giftcard.news/rewards-loyalty/prezzee-employee-gift-card-options-work-anniversaries/) [Maya Bennett](https://giftcard.news/author/maya-bennett/) September 15, 2026 2 min ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://giftcard.news/#publisher","name":"Gift Card News","url":"https://giftcard.news/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/brand/giftcard-news-logo.svg"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/#person","name":"Suzie Elis","url":"https://giftcard.news/author/suzie-elis/","description":"Suzie Elis covers gift card products, digital gifting and distribution for Gift Card News.","jobTitle":"Journalist — Gift Cards & Digital Gifting","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://giftcard.news/images/suzie-elis-editorial-portrait.webp","contentUrl":"https://giftcard.news/images/suzie-elis-editorial-portrait.webp","width":256,"height":256,"caption":"Illustrated portrait representing the Suzie Elis editorial 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