Southport BID launches the Southport Gift Card and is set to boost to the town’s economy

Southport BID has launched the Southport Gift Card this week and is set to be a significant boost to the town’s economy.

Sixty Southport town centre retailers, restaurants, cafes, bars and leisure venues have already signed up to accept the brand-new Southport Gift Card, with more added each week. The card is ready to be spent in high street favourites such as M&S, The Entertainer, Flannels and Sports Direct plus dozens of popular independent favourites such as Volare, Reputation, Tap & Bottles and The Cheshire Lines.

Southport BID has launched the initiative in order to encourage more people to spend money locally and help businesses recover from the coronavirus lockdown.

Southport BID CEO Rachel Fitzgerald said: “This is a fantastic way to keep spend right at the heart of the local economy. Our local businesses keep the town centre vibrant and a great place to live, work and shop and this another excellent way to support them.”

“I am absolutely delighted that so many retailers, venues, cafes, restaurants and other service businesses have signed up and see the value of the Southport Gift Card.”

The new scheme works exactly like any other shop gift card scheme. The purchaser can pre-load from £10 up to £200 on a card that they give as a present to colleagues, friends or family members. The card can then be spent just like any other debit card and they can purchase from any venue accepting it and spread their spend across as many venues as they wish.

BID Business Engagement Manager Sarah Rodriguez said that the Mastercard-based gift card could also be used by the town centre’s many offices and companies as an incentive for employees and colleagues. She said: “The scheme is a significant boost for the fantastic businesses that help make Southport the great place it is.”

“The card will help small businesses to compete against the online giants, and bring people directly into our stores and onto our high street. So rather than buying an Amazon or Google gift cards why not choose to give the Southport Gift Card? It’s easy to use and ensures that your money is spent locally, so you’re supporting local businesses with your purchase.”

Southport BID has partnered with Miconex to deliver the pre-payment gift card with the aim to have it accepted in over 150 stores, hospitality venues or attractions. Similar town gift cards across the country have seen tens of thousands kept in the local economy a year.

Tracy Badley Robinson, who owns the Element5 Hair & Beauty salon on Tulketh Street in Southport town centre, said: “I think Southport Gift Cards are a fantastic idea to offer people as an alternative gift.”

“At Element5 we will be embracing and telling all our clients about them. Even better it helps spending in Southport which in turn and most importantly it helps build our local economy, which we desperately need to do especially now in the aftermath of Covid.”

“I personally often buy gift cards for friends and family, but I will now be buying Southport Gift Cards for them. I have every faith that the residents of Southport get right behind them.”

Vicky Bradshaw, who runs the Cheshire Lines pub on King Street in Southport, said: “We have noticed post-lockdown a real buzz within the town and hope the new Southport Gift Card will work towards sustaining the shop local ethos which seems to be around currently.”

“Southport has got some great indies which have been brought to their knees in the recent economic climate – it really is a time for the people of Southport to use us or lose us. All in all I hope this new card is going to be a positive way of driving much-needed town centre footfall. I think it’s a great leap forward for creating loyalty shopping within the town centre.”

For more details and to buy the card please visit southportgiftcard.co.uk

Southport Business Improvement District (BID) is an independent organisation that represents more than 750 businesses in Southport Town Centre. It provides a collective voice for these businesses, implements programmes to help promote local spend and plays a central role in attracting investment to the town.

For more details about Southport BID, please like the Southport BID page onFacebook, Follow them @SouthportBID on Twitter and at @southportbid on Instagram.