Lands' End, the US clothing retailer, marked Mother's Day in the US on May 13 by offering shoppers an audio-equipped stored-value gift card. The buyer sends a credit-card-sized Lands' End card worth up to $500; the recipient listens to a loving message up to 10 seconds long, then uses it to buy goods in store or online.

At Target, the mass discounter, this seems relatively stale. Its Karaoke Chipmunk card turns any recorded message into a squeaky, rodent-like song. Or some may prefer the Healthy Spa card, which comes connected to a tin of bath salts.