New city centre gift card scheme launched in Sheffield

A city centre gift card scheme has been launched today (November 27th) by Sheffield’s Business Improvement District (BID).

The Sheffield Gift Card can be used at participating businesses in Sheffield city centre.

The card works in the same way to a store gift card but can be redeemed at a wide range of retailers, restaurants, leisure and entertainment venues in the city centre.

This place gift card is the first of its kind for a major city centre in England. More than 60 city centre businesses have already signed up to accept the card including high street brands, independent retailers, food and drink venues, salons, visitor attractions, cinemas and theatres.

Sheffield BID believes the new city centre gift card will help encourage a higher level of city centre spending and increase footfall post-Christmas and in the long term.

Sheffield city centre businesses to sign up to the gift card so far include Atkinson’s, independent café Ink and Water, high street footwear brand Schuh, coffee shop Mangobean, high street stores such as M&S, Debenhams, John Lewis, Thorntons, restaurants including Silversmiths, Cubana and Piccolinos.

Diane Jarvis, BID manager said: “The project will help increase trade in the city centre, helping us to compete against nearby retail destinations, such as Meadowhall, and online shopping sites such as Amazon and Ebay.

“It is an opportunity to lock in spend into the city centre economy, attracting new customers and more business.

“A gift card scheme for Sheffield city centre will provide a highly efficient sales and marketing tool. It will also enable our independent businesses – who could otherwise not afford a card programme - to benefit from more visits, new customers and additional sales.

“Recipients of the gift card will have the flexibility to spend the card throughout the city centre and won’t be restricted to spending the value at a single business. With Christmas around the corner, our gift card is the perfect local gift for people in Sheffield”.

Museums Sheffield is just one of the businesses that have already signed up.

Jennifer Cocker, head of finance and corporate services at Museums Sheffield, added: “Museums Sheffield is a charity, so every purchase in our shops makes a vital contribution to the work we do across our museums and galleries.

“The Sheffield Gift card scheme provides another great way for our visitors to shop with us and we’re delighted to be part of it.”

Sheffield BID is also planning to install self-service machines next year.

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