Ayr businesses pave way for town centre regeneration with South Ayrshire gift card scheme

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Enterprising Ayr businesses are backing a local gift card which they say has the power to tackle the ‘endemic’ rise in online shopping.Shops, pubs and restaurants are signing up to the South Ayrshire Gift Card, which launched in November, and can be spent with over 110 firms in the area.Three businesses in bustling Newmarket Street have recently backed the scheme – and by doing so, they hope they can pave the way for town centre regeneration.Vanessa Good, director of The Good Travel Company on Newmarket Street, said the gift card is “a great concept and a way to create our own local currency in South Ayrshire”.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.Vanessa said: “Another positive is that it’s a cross-sector card, so retail businesses can join, but so can firms offering experiences such as travel agencies, restaurants, salons and so on.“As business owners, we need to think outside of the box so we can come up with new ways to innovate in our towns, and make the experience of visiting the high street worth it for the customer.“The South Ayrshire Gift Card is a way to encourage customers onto the high street, then it’s down to us to keep them there.”Angela Iver, the founder of The Unity Grill – a social restaurant on Newmarket Street – said: “The message we want to share is that if you support a local business, it’s not just a business.