A Fylde loyalty card scheme will launch in July to reward residents and visitors for their patronage within Lytham, St. Anne’s and Kirkham. As well as rewards for shopping locally, there will also be quarterly draws for high street spend prizes sponsored by Fylde businesses and organisations. Customers will not require a mobile phone, or any digital skills, to participate as the card scheme simply requires a physical card to be stamped.
Kirkham Business Group, Lytham Business Partnership and St Anne’s Enterprise Partnership, alongside Fylde Council’s Economic Development Team, have created this new local initiative to reward residents and visitors for their patronage within the town centres. This follows a similar successful scheme launched in Kirkham by their trailblazing Business Group.
This initiative was selected by the business groups due to its business collaboration potential across the town centres and shopping districts and for its simplicity and accessibility for all age groups. It will highlight all Fylde has to offer in terms of independent shopping, professional service provision, tourism and hospitality.
The physical card scheme will receive set-up costs and marketing support funding through Fylde Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Councillor Karen Buckley, Leader of Fylde Council said: ‘UK and Regional options for a shop local scheme were investigated, but it was felt that as Kirkham’s Loyalty Card Scheme has been such a huge success, St Anne’s and Lytham wished to follow in their footsteps and widen the scheme across the Borough. This new initiative demonstrates our commitment to champion our town centres and strengthen our local economy. By shopping local our residents are directly supporting jobs and livelihoods and I hope the new loyalty card will prove a great success.’
Backed by the Council, each town will run their own scheme under a pan Fylde brand. Participating businesses will be provided with basic/refresher social media skills, and other business support if they so wish.
The Chair of Lytham Business Partnership, Suzanne Taylor from Bond and Bloom said ‘We wholeheartedly welcome this initiative. Other than getting behind the scheme and promoting it to customers, participation costs nothing for each Lytham business and encourages repeat custom and the shopping locally habit. We want to encourage locals and visitors alike to make more of what we have to offer in Lytham, and in Fylde.’
Michelle Cuffe from Cuffe and Lacey Fostering Services and Chair of St Anne’s Enterprise Partnership also commented by saying ‘We have a wonderfully supportive community here in St Annes, and indeed across Fylde. Our loyalty card schemes are for all age groups to participate in. Keeping money in the local economy will help attract new businesses and funding to help regenerate our towns, and future-proof them for generations to come.’
And Heidi Hopkinson, from Serendipity in Kirkham and Chair of Kirkham Business Group added ‘Our Kirkham Loyalty Card scheme has been really successful. It is a credit to our businesses and customers that the other Fylde Towns would like to run similar schemes. We have seen greater community spirit and support for Kirkham and will work with our fellow Fylde businesses to help them achieve the same results.’
More information on how the scheme will work, the businesses participating, and where to collect a card will be shared prior to launch in mid-July.
