The new commission-free Love Tipperary Gift Card has gone live in the county with over 190 businesses accepting the card, including national brands and independent businesses.
Tipperary businesses say the new gift card will drive footfall in local towns, take ‘shop local’ to the next level and provide an easy way to reward staff.
County Tipperary Chamber and Tipperary County Council are behind the newly launched county-wide gift card for the towns of Carrick-On-Suir, Clonmel, Cahir, Cashel, Tipperary Town, Thurles, Templemore, Nenagh and Roscrea.
Available to buy online as physical gift cards or digital e-cards, a range of shops, restaurants, salons, attractions and services are participating.
Edel Kennedy is the owner of ladieswear boutique Edel’s Boutique in Nenagh and said the gift card is a positive move for the county:
“Nenagh is a thriving market town with many wonderful restaurants, coffee shops and of course boutiques. It’s a shopper’s paradise, we have it all! Nenagh’s success can definitely be attributed to the fact that so many of the businesses are managed and run by the owners. We really do care about our customers and our town. Edel’s Boutique has been in Nenagh for 19 years and has seen so many changes in that time, including plenty of challenges for small business owners.
“The gift card is a fantastic initiative because it keeps money in the community. Small businesses have to pay commission to accept the national gift cards which is tough when margins are already tight. But the Love Tipperary Gift Card is commission free. As we approach the Christmas trading period, we as business owners are very excited for the launch of the gift card. We feel positive that we can take ‘shop local’ to the next level and put Tipperary on the map.
“In Ireland, we have such a great incentive to reward staff tax free through the Small Benefit Exemption scheme and what better way to reward staff than the Love Tipperary Gift Card, encouraging employees to shop in the county, driving footfall and helping create thriving towns where people want to live and work. It’s a no-brainer for organisations.”
A unique feature of the gift card is that it can be spent with both national brands and independent businesses, including New Look in Clonmel. Aisling O’Meara is the store manager and said:
“New Look in Clonmel is one of the most profitable in Ireland but even as a national brand, we’d noticed a drop in footfall and were keen to look at initiatives to increase both footfall and dwell time in Clonmel. When we heard about the Love Tipperary Gift Card, we said ‘this is amazing and how do we get involved’.
“Even though New Look is a big brand, we’re all local businesses staffed by local people and we all have pride in our town. By working together and backing each other through the gift card, we can help our town and our businesses to succeed.
“The great thing about the Love Tipperary Gift Card is that it has to be spent in Tipperary county and will encourage people to visit Clonmel and other towns. I think the choice on offer with the card is really good. People will look at where to spend it, visit one business, and likely stay to try others. We have a reward and recognition scheme at our store, and this year we will buy the Love Tipperary Gift Card because it puts the money we invest in rewards back into our town.”
5th generation Tipperary Town business O’Rahelly Sports is also participating. Bryan O’Rahelly said the gift card promotes the county:
“The fact that people will have a card in their wallet – physical or digital – that has Tipperary on it is brilliant. It’s a bit of advertising for our county and it’s a push for people to shop local who might not have otherwise. It also means it’s less likely to be forgotten about.
“Some of the national gift cards have a 10% commission for businesses to accept the card whereas the Love Tipperary Gift Card has no commission, so when people buy the Love Tipperary Gift Card as a present, or organisations buy it as rewards, they know that 100% of that money stays in the county.”
Michelle Aylward, Chief Executive at County Tipperary Chamber said the gift card will make it easy for organisations to support local:
“The Love Tipperary Gift Card is a single gift card for the whole county that has to be spent in person, driving footfall and spend for our towns. We have many large employers in Tipperary who want to support local and with the gift card they can do just that, availing of the Small Benefit Exemption that allows them to reward their staff with up to two small non-cash benefits each year up to the value of €1,000, tax free. This will increase to €1,500 in January 2025.”
Sinead Carr, C.E. of Tipperary County Council stated: “Alongside locals buying the card for gifts, and organisations buying the card for rewards, having our own gift card will also boost tourism. It will encourage visitors to explore and discover Tipperary and its towns, from our world class hotels to attractions, pubs and restaurants to gift shops. For locals, the ability to buy a physical or digital Love Tipperary Gift Card and have the reach of the whole county in one Gift Card is exciting, making supporting local easy.”
The Tipperary 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: “The Love Tipperary Gift Card is easy to buy and easy to spend, making it ideal for many purchase occasions and use cases throughout the year. Newly launched technology simplifies support for local further for organisations, with the ability to send digital e-cards to multiple employees either immediately or on a future date.
“In our 2024 research with organisations, 89% said supporting local businesses was important to them. Purchasing the Love Tipperary Gift Card for staff rewards is a way for organisations to take an active role in the success of their community.”
Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council, Cllr Declan Burgess, stated: “It’s wonderful to see the launch of the county-wide Love Tipperary Gift Card in advance of the key Christmas trading period, providing tangible support for Tipperary businesses of all shapes and sizes.”
See more stories here.
