A new gift card has gone live in Donegal Town as part of efforts to retain spend in Donegal and encourage local spending.
Backed by Donegal Town Business Focus Group, the new Donegal Town Gift Card is available as a physical gift card or an e-card that can be added to digital wallets.
Donegal Town introduced their paper Shop Local Vouchers in 2016, with over €1.5 million in sales to date.
Gareth Britton is chairperson of Donegal Town Business Focus Group, and owner of All Sports and said the time was right for the town to introduce a high-tech gift card:
“All Sports was founded in 1997 and like most of the businesses who are part of the Donegal Town Business Focus Group, it is family run. The idea behind the Shop Local Vouchers was to help keep money local in challenging economic times and encourage a buy and spend local mind-set. The best option initially was paper but it’s time to move on to a high tech physical and digital gift card.
“The main benefit of the new Donegal Town Gift Card is that it’s user friendly. The gift card format is one people are familiar with, and unlike the paper vouchers that could only be used in one business, the gift card can be used in multiple businesses, across multiple transactions.
“As we approach the peak season for gift card sales, having our own gift card is a huge advantage enabling both consumer and corporate sales. Organisations can buy the Donegal Town Gift Card for their staff with the knowledge that it can be spent with so many businesses in Donegal Town.
“It’s eligible for the Small Benefit Exemption, meaning organisations can reward their staff, tax free, up to €1,000 per employee, which goes up to €1,500 in January.”
Alongside retail and hospitality, a range of service based businesses accept the Donegal Town Gift Card like locally owned business, Specsavers. Eddie Dolan is the co-owner of Specsavers and said:
“Specsavers has been open for 8 years in Donegal. We’re part of the wider Specsavers brand, offering the value, service and quality eye care the brand is known for but delivered in a local way with a warm Donegal welcome. I think the progression of the vouchers to the new Donegal Town Gift Card is a fantastic and a great move for our local businesses. A high-tech gift card is what customers expect nowadays.
“It makes a more thoughtful, personal gift. With over 80 businesses participating, recipients of the card have flexibility to spend it on their eyes and ears, groceries, fuel or anything else they want or need in Donegal Town, blending practical uses with treats.
“It’s also so much easier for businesses to accept the new gift card as payment, just like any other card payment. Plus, there’s no commission for businesses to accept the Donegal Town Gift Card, unlike the national gift cards which take a big commission. We’ll be giving the Donegal Town Gift Card to our staff this Christmas using the Small Benefit Exemption because it ensures the full benefit reaches the employee, and locks our investment in Donegal Town.”
The Donegal Town Gift Card is part of the multi award winning Town & City Gift Card concept active across Ireland in Ballinrobe, Carndonagh, Drogheda, Letterkenny, Sligo and Waterford. Over €7 million Town & City Gift Cards were sold in Ireland in 2023, with around 80% of sales to organisations for staff rewards and incentives.
Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “It has been fantastic to work alongside Donegal Town to successfully onboard businesses from their previous paper voucher scheme to their new gift card. In our 2024 research, shop local sentiment was extremely high with consumers, employees and organisations all expressing a desire to support local businesses and their community. With its inherent support for local and unbeatable local choice, the Donegal Town Gift Card is the gift card that people want to receive.”
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