COUNCIL leader Euan Jardine has urged people to take up the Mi Rewards scheme to encourage local and loyal shopping in Galashiels.

He made the plea during a meeting of the Galashiels Community Council last week.

Customers can earn points for buying local in Galashiels, with points exchanged for prize draw entries to win local and national prizes.

An innovative new initiative that rewards regular local shopping has launched in Galashiels. Over 30 businesses in Galashiels have signed up to the programme that automatically rewards customers for shopping with them, including retail, hospitality and leisure venues. 

The new loyalty programme is the latest project from Energise Galashiels Trust to create a more vibrant community, and has been introduced following two-year funding from Scotland’s Towns Partnership.

Mi Rewards Galashiels is linked to customers’ regular payment cards, with no need to show a separate loyalty card. Participants earn 1 point for every £1 spent locally, and every 10 points becomes an entry into a monthly prize draw to win local prizes that showcase the best of the area.

Local prizes on offer in the coming months include cinema visits, jewellery and accessories, furniture, technology and dining out experiences. There is also the chance for participants to win national prizes, with a Lay-Z-spa Barbados AirJet as the prize for June.

There is no cost or additional equipment required for businesses in Galashiels to be a part of Mi Rewards. Galashiels businesses that have already signed up to the initiative include Kinalba, the Pavilion Cinema, Torwoodlee Golf Club, The Salmon Inn, Bulldog Bakes, Inis, Music Station and Tzunun.

Businesses can also personalise the programme to their needs, such as promoting new products or adjusting how many points make an entry into the prize draw.

At the meeting Councillor Jardine said: “For every pound spent in a local shop you get a point and after 10-points you get entered into a prize draw.

“Someone just recently got £50. But there is not a real high take up of the scheme. It’s been advertised online but many people haven’t heard of it.

“None of the main stream shops are on. It’s everyone else in Channel Street and Bank Street  so it’s really important to support local shops.

“So people are getting rewards for shopping local.”

People can join Mi Rewards Galashiels for free by visiting: https://mi-rewards.com/galashiels