Scotland Loves Local: Push for high street shopping to save jobs thenational.scot - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thenational.scot Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Business urged to sign up to Scotland Loves Local loyalty card Businesses across the country have already started signing up so they are ready to benefit as soon as customers can start spending them. Kirsten Scott, co-director of The Guild Dumfries, who also runs design business Mala Interiors, believes the Covid-19 pandemic has led to greater appreciation of the part that local shops and services play in peoples’ lives. “Now more than ever,” she says. “People are realising just how important local businesses are and how we need to be promoting and supporting them in order to regenerate our high streets.
Now a Holyrood-backed scheme could make retail paradise, it is claimed. Scottish ministers are backing the roll-out of a local gift card scheme aimed at keeping cash in communities. And it’s hoped every area in the country will soon have its own regional gift card to encourage residents to support local businesses. The “Scotland Loves Local Gift Card” is part of efforts to “power the national economic fightback” after a year of hardship for store-holders. It’s being delivered by Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP), after whose campaign it’s named, and is the result of a partnership with Perth-based fintech specialist Miconex. It already supports 60 such initiatives across the UK, Ireland and North America.
“We want to highlight everything you can do in Lossiemouth like mountain biking, shopping and coffee shops.
“When the bridge first closed, there was a lot of cancellations as people didn’t realise that Lossie had two beaches and many other things to explore.”
Business expands amid pandemic
Amanda Nasser from McClintocks Optical Styling Boutique
Last August, McClintock Optical Styling Boutique owner Amanda Nasser relocated her business to bigger premises at Pitgaveny Quay.
Mrs Nasser said: “Just before the first lockdown I started looking for bigger premises.
“I did a fantastic move by coming down to the marina and expanding which has been phenomenal and the support locally has been tremendous.
Nominate your inspirational Lanarkshire figures for Scotland Loves Local Awards dailyrecord.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailyrecord.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.