Residents encouraged to support their local high street with the new Eastleigh Borough Gift Card
Residents across the Borough of Eastleigh are being encouraged to support their local high street through a new gift card scheme.
The Eastleigh Borough Gift Card is now available for purchase and is aimed at enticing people to spend money locally and help support the neighbourhood retail centre.
Many businesses across the Borough of Eastleigh have now signed up to be a part of the gift card scheme which is designed to give local shops a boost and to remind people to support businesses in their area. The card is a great way to get people back out visiting the high street again as many non-essential businesses re-open their doors following nationwide restrictions due to the COVID pandemic.
Businesses that have already signed up for the gift card include cafes, restaurants, shops, beauticians and pubs. The scheme is free to join and, as long as the company accepts Mastercard payments, they can sign up to be a part of the gift card incentive and allow customers to spend money in their establishment.
Malik Usmonov from The Hursley Café in Chandler’s Ford said: “We’re excited to have signed up for the Borough gift card. We hope that it will increase our business and we also hope that the scheme will encourage people to shop locally.”
David Mackie from Steam Town Brew Co near Eastleigh town centre/Bishopstoke said: “Where the Eastleigh Borough Gift Card can be so effective is in widening our reach in the local community. If you love our beers and burgers, the chances are your friends and family will too! Come and redeem your gift card on any in-person purchase made at our Eastleigh taproom.”
Data provided by The Gift Card and Voucher Association valued the UK gift card market at £7bn in 2019 and suggests that 98.6% of gift cards are spent within a year of being received.
You can load the card with your chosen amount of money which will be redeemable in any of the retail, leisure and hospitality venues that sign up to the scheme across the Borough.
Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex, the company that provides the technology behind the gift card scheme. He said that the Eastleigh Borough Gift Card will help keep money locked into the area:
“When you spend money online, that money leaves the area but when you spend locally, you’re supporting local businesses, local jobs and local people. The value of every £1 you spend is multiplied several times. Over 80% of people are supporting local businesses more now than before lockdown, and 76% of people have purchased a gift card over the last three years.
“The Eastleigh Borough Gift Card combines our desire to support local businesses with a multi-venue gift card that is ideal to give as a present, for employers to use for staff incentives and as an easy way to shop locally.”
To find out more and purchase a gift card, please visit: http://eastleighgiftcard.co.uk/