A gift card scheme providing an £840,000 cash boost for Aberdeen businesses has been hailed as a success for putting “money into the hands of those that need it most”.
Aberdeen City Council distributed 14,000 gift cards to low-income households in December to help them buy food, clothes, and toys.
Residents receiving a council tax reduction were sent the £125 card, which can be spent at nearly 300 shops in the city, including food and clothing retailers.
In the first month, more than 70% of cards have been activated and over £840,000 has been spent – which has been a welcome boost for local businesses.
Haigs the butcher is one of the stores accepting Aberdeen gift cards, and owners James and Julie Haig say they’ve seen “lots of new faces” in-store thanks to the gift card.
Mr Haig said: “The demand for food banks in Aberdeen is higher than ever. When we heard that Aberdeen City Council was planning to distribute the gift card to 14,000 low-income families in Aberdeen, we thought it was a fantastic idea.
“We know that people are genuinely struggling financially right now. There have been lots of new faces into Haigs and they have been so chuffed to have the card.
“Families may be on low incomes but they still want to give their family good quality food. The gift card has done what it set out to do; put money into the hands of those that need it most, and encourage them to shop local and discover new local businesses.”
‘Put money into people’s pockets’
Meanwhile, some used their gift cards in Craigdon Mountain Sports to buy winter clothing to stay warm in the cold.
Director Mary Bruce said: “Warm jackets and base layers, hats, and gloves are the main things that people spent their cards on. We have long, cold winters in Aberdeen, so a warm coat is essential and well worth the investment.
“The gift card has put money into people’s pockets and has helped them to discover what’s in their local area, and get the things they need. As a business, it has helped us to increase visibility, brought new customers into the shop that haven’t visited before, and has been a way for us to serve our community.”
The distribution of the gift cards has been funded by a £1.9 million Scottish Government grant to the city, which comes from a fund set up to help communities bounce back following the pandemic.
Aberdeen City Council’s support for families and businesses through the gift cards builds on the success of the card, launched by Aberdeen Inspired in 2020, to encourage people to shop local.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired said: “We introduced the Aberdeen Gift Card to support our businesses and it quickly became one of the most successful local gift cards in the UK.
“This latest injection from Aberdeen City Council of almost £2 million pounds into our local economy is proving to be hugely beneficial to both households and local businesses, and we look forward to seeing even more cards being activated and spent over the coming weeks.”
Residents have until the March 31 to activate their cards. More information about activating and using the gift card is available online.
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