Shop local this Christmas with the new Glasgow Gift Card
City leaders hope it will give a boost to businesses after the pandemic
Last updated 7th Oct 2021
Business owners in Glasgow are signing up for a voucher scheme designed to encourage us to shop locally this Christmas with the Glasgow Gift Card can only be used in shops and tourist attractions in the city.
Glasgow City Council is backing the rollout of the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card, supported by Scottish Government, andbeing delivered by Scotland’s Towns Partnership through the Scotland Loves Local Campaign.
The Glasgow Gift Card is one of 32 Gift Cards, unique to each region of Scotland, and can only be spent in businesses located in the region.
A showcase for Glasgow
Camilo Gomez runs the Once Upon a Whisky store in the west end of Glasgow is telling Clyde 1 News he hopes it'll boost the number of customers coming through the door.
"It's a great opportunity to showcase what we have. People are unaware of difference business, whether it's food and drink or tourist attractions," he said.
"It's time to think about what you can do to mitigate the impact of the pandemic in an industy that really suffered a lot."
Councillor Angus Millar, Depute City Convener for Inclusive Economic Growth at Glasgow City Council, said: “Supporting local businesses in Glasgow will play a vital part of the city’s economic recovery from the pandemic, and the Glasgow Gift Card is a welcome initiative to help the high street and the wider city economy. I would encourage any businesses in Glasgow interested in this scheme to sign up.”
Free sign up for businesses
The first year of costs being met by the Scottish Government as part of its £10 million of support for Scotland Loves Local. There are no registration costs for businesses. Payments are processed as part of the Mastercard network.
Scotland Loves Local is the campaign urging people to think local first by spending in businesses and attractions around them - evoking the strong community spirit witnessed at the peak of the coronavirus crisis.