I remember an episode of Dilbert where he gives his mother a gift card. She said, “Thank you! It’s just like money except you can only spend it in one place and it has an expiration date.”
The only gift cards I’ve ever dealt with is when getting refunds, and then it’s for $20 to $50.
Stores love gift cards, many are lost and never are redeemed.
Consumer advocate/reporter/talk show guy Clark Howard recommends against giving gift cards for exactly that reason.