Newry and Mourne Council has met with the Newry Chamber of Commerce and Newry City Centre Management to discuss the future implementation of a loyalty card scheme. The scheme was first proposed in the council last month by councillor Pat McGinn where it received almost unanimous support from councilors with just one abstention. It is envisaged that the loyalty card would give unique offers and promotions to customers who make their purchases in locally owned businesses in the district. Council representatives met with the chief executive of the chamber last week and organized further meetings for the weeks ahead. It is understood the loyalty card scheme will begin on a pilot basis in Newry before being rolled out across the rest of the district. At last week’s council meeting councillors once again gave their support to the plan. Fews representative Pat McGinn said people in the district realized the importance of shopping locally while Slieve Gullion councillor Terry Hearty said the project had worked well in other towns and cities where it was implemented. He added that it would show hard pressed traders in the city that the council had not forgotten them. “in the next few months traders will be receiving their rates bill and they may very well ask why they are paying them,” he said. “This plan will show traders that the council is working for them and is doing what it can to improve business.” Crotlieve councillor Connaire McGreevy also voiced his support. “It is very important that we continue to encourage people to shop locally,” he said. “Stimulating local business is the key to driving us out of this recession and to creating and maintaining jobs.’
Newry Democrat
15th January 2013
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