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The Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card can be spent with hundreds of businesses in Glasgow, including Boveda Hair & Beauty Salon in Maryhill. Donna McArthur is the founder of Boveda:
“I’ve been in business for 35 years and relocated to our current premises in Maryhill in September 2017, taking over a former RBS building. The last two years have been really challenging and peoples’ shopping habits have changed.
“Boveda is on the cusp of East Dunbartonshire and Glasgow. I immediately saw the potential of the Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card program for different areas, including East Dunbartonshire and Glasgow, to drive sales and encourage new customers.
“I’d heard that Glasgow City Council were planning to use the Gift Card as a way to filter funds into the community, and decided to offer customers an added incentive to use their gift card at Boveda. Households in receipt of Council Tax Reduction will soon receive a £105 Glasgow Gift Card to spend with local businesses. Our incentive gives customers an additional £10 when they register their full £105 Gift Card with Boveda.
“We will accept the Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card like any other payment, and it registers on the client’s profile, with the extra £10 we’re adding as an incentive. Clients can then use this credit on getting their hair done and buying products for as long as the credit lasts. Because of the way we now work due to coronavirus, customers are in the habit of paying deposits and they often like to spread out the costs of having their hair done by setting up a bank transfer of a certain amount each month.
It makes sense for local businesses to be the champions of the Gift Card because local businesses are the ones that will benefit from it.
“I see the incentive as a really nice way to thank clients for their loyalty and give them a little bit extra on top of what they receive from Glasgow City Council. It’s also a way that we can ease people into using their gift card, and make it really easy for them to do so. We’re putting our hand up and saying ‘we accept the Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card and would love for you to spend it with us’. We’ve had lots of questions already. As a business, we have a really good relationship with our clients, who trust us. It makes sense for local businesses to be the champions of the Gift Card because local businesses are the ones that will benefit from it.
“When people hear about the Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card, and if they receive a card through the council, I want them to think of Boveda. I also hope it will encourage new customers to give us a try. When we moved to our current salon, we gained a lot of professional clients in the G20 area and also have a lot of wedding clients. It’s a gorgeous salon, and really friendly but if you haven’t been in before, people might think it’s expensive or be a bit wary about coming in for the first time.
With a Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card in their hand, we hope customers will be more experimental
“With a Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card in their hand, we hope customers will be more experimental. It might even give people the chance to invest in a one-off experience with Boveda, and maybe spend a little more on themselves than they normally would. We’re up for Scottish business of the year, and whether it’s your first visit or your 100th, we want you to walk out of Boveda feeling fantastic.
“I encourage all Glasgow businesses to sign up to accept the Gift Card, and talk to customers about the fact that you accept it. If we have really open conversations about the gift card, it removes the worries that people might have about spending it. Because that’s what we need- for people to spend their gift cards. People will see the gift card like ‘free money’ encouraging them to try new businesses which could lead to an influx of new customers. Being a part of the programme is going to increase your profile and increase your revenue too. If you’re not on board, you’re sleepwalking through a missed opportunity.
“The Scotland Loves Local Glasgow Gift Card can be accepted like any other credit or debit card, and no extra equipment is needed to accept it. Make sure your team knows about the gift card, and that you accept it, so you’re not missing out on business.
“If we get behind the gift card, show we accept it and encourage our customers to spend it, it’ll be a ‘Brucie Bonus’ for local businesses and a route to new customers who could go on to become regular customers. I do believe that collaboration, and businesses supporting the initiative with information for their customers, can only conclude in a win-win for all participating.”
