Some "big-box" retailers may be spicing up an otherwise plain-vanilla product this holiday season to lure in value-conscious consumers - the gift card.

Certain of these retailers - whose stores are physically large and usually part of a chain - are rolling out gift cards that play on social networking trends and webcam technology as a way to help them stand out from mounting competition.

Their creativity may be driven, in part, by necessity. A third of retailers said they expect sales during Christmas to decline 5% to 25% this year despite recent strength in the stock market, according to a Hay Group seasonal hiring survey.

Although the size of the gift card business is hard to track, analysts say it is growing and becoming an increasingly important part of retailer's sales. Catherine Fox-Simpson, tax partner in the retail and consumer product practice of BDO Seidman, expects gift card sales to increase this holiday season as consumers seek practical gifts. She estimates the gift card business to be upwards of $25 billion a year.

Consumers' emphasis on value will help drive sales of gift cards that have an added value or special selling point above and beyond the standard gift card, she said.

"There's so much competition [among different retailer's gift cards], the retailers have to make their gift card different, attractive and practical," said Fox-Simpson.

Best Buy Co.'s (BBY) new Pitch In Web site, set to go live on Wednesday, may be a play to combine both the practical and innovative. Inspired, in part, by social networking trends, customers can create a card online and friends and family can contribute any amount to the card - starting at $5 - to be used towards larger items on that customer's wish list. The card can be used at any U.S. Best Buy store or online.

Ann Platt, senior director in marketing for Best Buy, said the card will work well for consumers who can't afford to buy big-ticket gifts and will act as a "group gift solution."

"It allows people to pool their resources together," Platt said.

Fox-Simpson said another big-box retailer differentiating itself in the gift card area this season is Home Depot Inc. (HD).

When a customer receives one of the company's interactive gift cards, he or she can go to a special Web site, enter the gift card amount and hold the gift card up to a webcam. The webcam will show the consumer's image and the image of a crate on the computer screen. When the customer shakes the gift card, products will appear in the on-screen crate within the card value range.

"We've got high expectations for the card," said Mike Homiak, director of gift cards for Home Depot. Although he wouldn't give specific gift card guidance, Homiak said the company is "generally pretty optimistic" about its gift card sales this holiday season.

But the billion dollar question for retailers will be to see if these more high-tech gift cards will actually boost sales.

Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry analyst at NPD Group Inc., said gift cards will likely be one of the most unpredictable components of sales this season as consumers continue to search for deals. Still, Cohen views retailers' move to more sophisticated and personalized gift cards as a positive.

"Any way of trying to engage consumers is step in the right direction," he said.

-By Veronica Dagher, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2261; veronica.dagher@dowjones.com

(Mary Ellen Lloyd contributed to this report.)