Sunderland launches city gift card to support local businesses

Sunderland has launched its own gift card scheme in a bid to boost the local economy.

Created by Sunderland City Council and Sunderland BID, in cooperation with Miconex, the company that has launched gift card schemes in 50 towns and cities including York, Leicester, Southport, Edinburgh, Southport and Salisbury.

The move is to encourage people to support the local economy as the gift cards can only be spent across Sunderland at a range of outlets citywide, which could include cinemas, shops, beauty salons, hairdressers, restaurants and bars.

Businesses of all types, including hospitality, retail, experiential and professional services, can sign up for the scheme to allow the cards to be spent at their venues and shops, while customers can purchase gift cards for amounts between 5 and 500 pounds.

Sharon Appleby, head of business operations at Sunderland BID, said in a statement: “There’s never been a more important time for people to shop local. And the Sunderland Gift Card is a fantastic way to do that, with the added bonus of having a whole host of options where it can be spent.

“We are now hoping that businesses will get behind the scheme and sign up, ahead of its official launch mid November.”

The Sunderland Gift Card is part of the Reopening High Streets Safely project, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Colin Munro, managing director of Miconex, said that the Sunderland Gift Card is a positive move for the city: “There are around 340,000 people living in Sunderland. If half of those residents purchased, or were given, a 10 pound Sunderland gift card that would be 1.7 million pounds locked into the city.

“Most cards that are purchased for Christmas will be spent in January, which is traditionally a quiet time for traders. We might be heading into lockdown once more, but this is a way to still support local traders by giving Sunderland Gift Card as a Christmas gift, or to use once businesses open again.”

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