More Wantage and Grove businesses sign up to local trade boost initiative

A new stamp card option is now available to shoppers with a Wantage & Grove Loyalty Card – http://www.wantageandgroveloyalty.co.uk/– as part of a focus on rewarding regular customers. Ten additional businesses have joined the scheme in the last month.

The extension of the Loyalty Card scheme is one of the initiatives being developed by town team co-ordinators Mim Norvell and Iain Nicholson as part of a town vitality project involving the Vale of White Horse District Council, Wantage Town Council and Wantage & District Chamber of Commerce, being driven through the town’s Joint Economic Forum.

More than 55 independent retail and hospitality businesses in Wantage and Grove are currently taking part in the scheme, which has more than 1400 local people as members. It allows retailers to make discount and special offers to card holders and now to reward those who shop with them regularly.

One of those taking part is Ahmed Elaboussi at the Panini Shop in Wantage Market Place. He says: “We get a lot of people who come in to taste some exotic Moroccan flavours and eat or drink with us a number of times a week, so it’s great to have the stamp card option as a way to reward their loyalty to us, and also hopefully to attract new regular customers”.

Another business involved is Grove Pet Shop on Savile Way. Owner Darren Nobbs says: “We’re very pleased to be part of an initiative that brings together local independent businesses across Wantage and Grove. It’s a good way for us to jointly raise shop awareness within the local community, and support the local area with great offers.”

Town Team co-ordinator Mim Norvell carried out the survey of retail and hospitality businesses in Wantage and Grove as part of her work as Loyalty Card scheme administrator. Mim says: “With 1400 local people already signed up as members and over a 1000 of those able to receive our email newsletter providing information about the offers and discounts available, it’s helping local independent business to communicate with their customers. Based on feedback from the survey, we’ve made a number of improvements to the scheme, including the new stamp card option to reward regular custom, and it’s encouraging to see both new businesses and shoppers signing up.”

The Loyalty Card costs £2 to buy from participating shops and venues. The website at http://www.wantageandgroveloyalty.co.uk/ currently features more than 35 offers available from a variety of businesses.