Scots want employers to do more to support other businesses in their community, incentivising staff with rewards that can only be spent with local enterprises, new research reveals.
The poll of almost 1,400 adults, carried out by the Diffley Partnership, reveals that:
- 68% of respondents agree that when using gift cards to reward and incentivise staff, employers should use local gift card schemes to support local town centres and small businesses rather than national alternatives.
- 66% of respondents agree that offering a local gift card scheme is an effective way for employers to incentivise and reward their staff.
- 78% of respondents agree that employers should do more to support local businesses in their area.
Sales for the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card have topped £500,000 for the first time – a 120% increase on this point last year – and corporate orders from businesses are an important element of that, representing 50% of sales.
Kimberley Guthrie, STP’s Interim Chief Officer, said: “When local employers support each other, it makes a tremendous difference. Greater use of local gift cards has the power to channel millions of pounds more of spending directly into local economies – a potential game-changer for many businesses.
“Keeping money local for longer is at the heart of this. It’s often said that every pound spent locally flips six times in the area’s economy, so the knock-on effect is significant.
“Thinking local first protects jobs, is better for the environment and helps make our communities more vibrant places in which to live. For employers, there are few more powerful forms of corporate social responsibility than helping support the future of other local businesses. Local gift cards allow them to do precisely that.”
Work to develop a digital Scotland Loves Local Gift Card – a project supported by the Scottish government – is at an advanced stage.
Perth-based fintech Miconex is delivering the gift card initiative for STP.
Colin Munro, Miconex’s Managing Director, said: “Organisations are increasingly making the move to local gift cards to reward staff, customers and service users because they offer choice for the recipient blended with support for local. Firms want to offer a reward or incentive that reflects the diversity of their people, that can be used by the recipient easily and in a way that suits their individual needs.
“As reflected in the polling, there is increasing awareness and understanding of the role that organisations play in the success of their community. Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards offer a tangible means for organisations to give staff a useful reward or incentive and support local at the same time.”
Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards are available for every local authority region in Scotland. More than 7,000 businesses across the country are registered to accept them.
Each card can only be spent within the region for which it is branded, which ensures the money loaded onto each card can only be spent with local businesses.
