Broseley loyalty card to increase high street footfall

Siblings Myra and Nick Downes run Downes Greengrocers together and said the card had brought a "buzz" to the town

A loyalty card scheme has been launched in a Shropshire town to boost footfall at its high street shops.

Broseley Town Council said the majority of shops had signed up for the scheme, which lets customers get their card stamped every time they spend money at a participating store.

After ten stamps, their completed card is handed in and entered into a monthly prize draw.

Myra Downes said it has created a "buzz" in her greengrocers.

"It's made people think about shopping on the high street... made them think about how they are keeping those little shops going."

"I don't know if it'll bring fresh folks into the high street but if we can keep the ones we've got here, I think that's really important," she said.

Councillor Caroline Bagnall, who came up with the scheme, said the majority of the high street is made up of independent shops and the majority had signed up, including the chain store, Spar.

Councillor Caroline Bagnall with trader Chris Jones, who said he had already handed in two full cards after just one week

Ms Bagnall said she was first worried about the high street when the town lost its local bakery.

"I wanted something that would create a habit, if you like, of shopping locally," she said.

Once customers hand in their completed card the shop will pass them to the town council for inclusion in the monthly prize draw, where customers will have the chance to win vouchers to spend in participating stores.

The scheme will initially last for six months and does not cost shops any money to take part.

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