First Stoke businesses sign up to economy boosting gift card for the city Copy

Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID has unveiled plans for a new gift card for the city centre, with the first businesses signing up to accept the card.

The Stoke-on-Trent City Centre Gift Card will be a single gift card for Hanley. Retail, hospitality, attractions, health and beauty and service based businesses are all eligible to accept the card. Working through the Mastercard system, businesses need no additional equipment to accept the card.

Both national brands and independent businesses will be part of the new gift card, including businesses at The Potteries Centre – the largest shopping centre in Staffordshire and South Cheshire.

Paul Williams, lead director for place marketing at Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID, said:

“It’s exciting to sign up the very first Stoke businesses to Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID’s new gift card. The gift card is a wonderful opportunity to encourage consumers to think local first. By converting latent ‘shop local’ demand into increased spend and loyalty, the BID gift card will help to support participating retail, hospitality, leisure and other city centre businesses, increase footfall and repeat visits, protect jobs and boost the local economy.

“Featuring iconic Stoke-on-Trent images, the gift card will also help us to celebrate our city centre. It can be used as a corporate gift or employee reward, and will make an excellent present for family and friends who live locally or who have moved away but still want to connect with their home city and help it to thrive. If you haven’t signed your business up to be a part of the gift card yet, now is the time to do it.”

Amy Whittaker, Centre Manager of The Potteries Centre said:

“We’re so excited to have the new city centre gift card launching soon as a way to encourage visitors to spend and shop locally. The new gift card initiative continues to demonstrate the BID’s strong collaborative working partnerships across the city and will give visitors to The Potteries Centre and the wider city centre so many options of where they can spend it. We’re looking forward to seeing the positive effects it will bring to all of our retailers.”

The Stoke-on-Trent City Centre Gift Card will be part of the award winning Town & City Gift Card initiative from fintech Miconex, active in cities such as Aberdeen, Belfast and Cambridge.

Colin Munro, managing director of Miconex, said:

“With its large population, including a large student population, strong tourism offering and multitude of corporate organisations, Stoke is perfectly positioned for its own gift card program. Similar sized cities are enjoying huge success with their gift card and that’s something that can be emulated in Stoke, locking spend into Stoke that might otherwise be spent online or elsewhere.

“The sign up process is quick, and businesses accept the card like any other card payment, so it’s very easy for businesses and simple for customers too. An influx of local spend is on its way for Stoke.”

City centre businesses wishing to receive more information can email: marketing@stokeontrentbid.co.uk