A Scottish fintech company has launched a new campaign to encourage consumers to spend gift cards to support local businesses reopening after lockdown.
Perthshire-based Miconex launched the Spend It campaign across 17 Scottish towns and cities, following research that retail footfall had increased following lockdown restrictions in the first week by 75%.
More than 47,000 town and city gift cards purchased in 2020 across the 60 programmes in the UK and Ireland according to the Gift Card and Voucher Association.
Its research found that retail spend fell by 3.6% in 2020, the biggest drop in 50 years yet, but gift cards remained popular.
Around 76% of consumers have purchased a gift card in the last three years, with uncertainty in UK retail increasing the popularity of multi-store gift cards rising to 39.4% of gift cards in March 2021 from 32.4% in December 2020.
Self-gifting is on the rise, with 31.8% purchasing a gift card for self-use over the past three years.
Around 17% of gift card purchasers said supporting local businesses or the high street was a reason for them buying a gift card for themselves, increasing to 25.2% for 25-44 year olds.
Stewart Birrell, owner of Donsport, which takes part in the scheme, said: “We’ve had lots of sales through the East Ayrshire gift card, including cards through the East Ayrshire Council disbursement scheme where gift cards were given to families in need as part of their support care package campaign.
“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.”
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