Scottish fintech Miconex has launched a new Spend It campaign across its 17 Scottish Town and City Gift Card Programmes, encouraging consumers to get out and spend local gift cards to support businesses reopening after the latest lockdown.
The campaign asks consumers to share where they have spent their local gift card, liking or following Town and City Gift Cards on Twitter or Facebook and tagging the company on their photo, to be put into a prize draw to win a £100 Town and City Gift Card of their choice.
Over 47,000 Town and City Gift Cards were purchased in 2020 across the 60 programmes in the UK and Ireland. Each gift card can be spent with a variety of businesses in a particular town or city- from retail and leisure to hospitality and services- and are designed to make it easy for customers to shop local, keeping money locked into an area and supporting businesses.
A business that has seen spend through its local Town and City Gift Cards scheme following the reopening of non-essential retail in Scotland is sports clothing store Donsport in Cumnock. Stewart Birrell, owner of Donsport said it’s vital that customers get out and spend their local gift cards:
“Like other non-essential retailers, we reopened on the 26th April. The loyalty we’ve had from our customers is very much appreciated. It means we can keep on employing our 5 members of staff and providing them with that job security. Shopping locally builds the community as one business supports the next. The great thing about the gift card is that customers can spend a little bit here and there, spreading that spend out in the community and helping more businesses. It is really important that people use their existing gift cards, even if there’s just a small amount left. Customers can scan the QR code on the gift card and check their balance really easily.People are fed up of buying clothes online and getting stuff delivered that isn’t what they anticipated. When you buy locally, shopkeepers are there to guide you through the process, helping you to get exactly what you need.”
The new Spend It campaign from Miconex is part of its client success programme, helping places to maximise success for their programmes with multi-channel marketing campaigns.
Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and commented:
“Customers have taken the first step and purchased a local gift card, now is the time to spend it. A Town and City Gift Card is a piece of potential. The potential to support a small, independent business who has struggled through the last year.
The potential to keep money locked into where you live and the potential to safeguard jobs, livelihoods and the vibrancy of where you live. Your local gift card can stay in your bag, wallet or in a drawer at home, or it can be turned into drinks with friends at your local, fish and chips on the seafront, a new outfit for the warmer weather to come or a long awaited haircut. Now is the time to get out and spend locally.”
