PERTH BASED BUSINESS ASKS PEOPLE TO SUPPORT LOCAL
Miconex has issued a rallying call to businesses in Perth and Kinross to support local this Christmas through the city’s local gift card.
Since the card’s launch in 2015 over £419,000 worth of Perth Gift Cards have been sold with an estimated £691,000 retained in the Perth economy. The gift card can be spent with over 100 shopping, food and drink, leisure and attractions, health and beauty and accommodation providers in the Fair City.
The call comes on the back of research conducted by Miconex with 1500 organisations, employees and consumers, which found that 80% of organisations and 90% of employees, suggested that support for local was important to them for Christmas 2022.
53% of employees said they would prefer to receive a gift card from their workplace for Christmas 2022, higher than cash and social events.
Other findings from the research include an employee preference for gift cards that can be spent with more than one business, such as the Perth Gift Card, with 73% of employees saying they would prefer to receive a multi-store gift card from work instead of a single retailer gift card.
Colin Munro, managing director of Miconex said: “Soaring costs means it’s tough for everyone right now, businesses included. We need to make our Christmas rewards for staff matter by choosing local, keeping as much money locked into Perth as we can. Our research showed that the majority of organisations and employees want to support local this Christmas.
Gift cards are a way that organisations can support their staff during the cost of living crisis. 72% of employees in our survey said they’d use a gift card from work on something practical. Employees talked about using a gift card to ‘trade up’, spending a bit more than they would normally. This means employees could get something practical that they need, but still feel like they’re getting a treat.”
He added: “One of the main reasons that employees prefer gift cards over cash is that spending a gift card is more conscious and memorable. Cash given as part of the salary not only gets taxed, but it also tends to get consumed into the general pot and used on day to day expenses without the employee having much recollection on how it was spent.
The popularity of single retailer gift cards is waning. The majority of employees want to receive a multi-store gift card like the Perth Gift Card because of the choice on offer.”
The Perth Gift Card is part of the award winning Town & City Gift Card initiative developed by Miconex, now active in 80 plus towns and cities around the UK and Ireland. It is free for businesses to accept the Perth Gift Card as payment, and Perth businesses can sign up online.
Digital versions of the Perth Gift Card were introduced in 2021, giving recipients the option to add their gift card balance to digital wallets such as Apple or Google Pay. The gift card is available to buy in person from Fun Junction, McCash’s Country Store and Number Five, as well as online, with invoicing options for organisations.
Miconex was awarded the Social Impact award at the Scottish Financial Technology Awards in October and the Small to Medium Business of the Year at the 2022 GCVA Hall of Fame awards in September.
Colin commented further: “Miconex is expanding rapidly but Perth is where we’re based and is hugely important to us. Our research also showed that 79% of people who receive a gift card through work plan a specific visit to the city to spend it. 47% spend their gift card within 3 months. Every Perth Gift Card purchased by organisations this Christmas will drive additional footfall into Perth, and quickly too. This is what our businesses need right now.
This Christmas, we’re asking Perth organisations to choose the Perth Gift Card to reward staff, if they can. It’s a way that they can wrap up the desire that employees have to support local with choice, all within their preferred Christmas reward, a gift card.”
