Launched by Preston’s Business Improvement District (BID), various traders have decided to participate in the scheme. The hope is that people will choose to shop in the city centre, with the initiative funded by the BID.
Mark Whittle, the manager of Preston’s BID, told the Lancashire Evening Post:
“It’s important that we work with loyal local people to keep spend circulating in their city centre economy, whilst also providing a wide choice of where to spend their well-earned money.”
Omar Mitha, representing a local independent menswear retailer, was quick to get involved in the initiative. Mitha was eager to accept the card as a payment method and suggested that other enterprises should follow suit. The manager of the local Lush branch, Danielle Smith, has also given her full support to the Preston-based card, despite Lush not being a local brand. As a manager, she wants to see many of the cards swiped.
Printing services can be enlisted to provide promotional material for initiatives like this, helping to give local firms a boost.
Consumers should purchase the gift card online. They can choose the amount of money that they put on their card, and they have the opportunity to divide their spending between a range of participating firms. The Preston Gift Card is the first of its kind in Lancashire.