On a visit to Belfast’s Ormeau Road – which was recently announced as Retail NI’s High Street of the Year – the Minister announced that the online portal which will enable anyone aged over 18 and over to apply for the £100 Spend Local pre-paid cards – will be open from 27th September until 25th October.

He also announced a number of other key dates. They are:

• Week commencing 4th October – First tranche of cards will issue to those who have successfully applied for the Spend Local pre-paid card.
• 11th October – Telephone service will open to support applications from people not able to access or use the online portal.
• 25th October – High Street Scheme online portal and telephone services will close.
• 25th October – the last qualifying date for those turning 18 to be eligible to apply for a Spend Local card.
• 30th November – High Street Scheme closes and the Spend Local pre-paid cards will cease to be valid.

The Minister said: “Now is the time to get ready to Spend Local. I am delighted to announce that the online portal will open to receive applications in just under two weeks with the first tranche of Spend Local pre-paid cards to issue the week beginning 4th of October.

Boost local businesses

“The objective of the £145million High Street Scheme is to boost local businesses following the drop in footfall brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. By giving everyone aged 18 and over in Northern Ireland a pre-paid card worth £100 to spend in local high businesses, we will encourage many more customers back through the doors of local retail, hospitality and services.

“I would encourage everyone who is over 18 by 25th October this year, to apply for their card between 27th September and October 25th. We expect demand to be high so please be patient if the online portal is busy just after it opens. It is important to remember that everyone will have at least four weeks to spend their card.

“By applying, receiving and ultimately spending your Spend Local card in local businesses such as shops, hospitality and other services before November 30, you will be doing your bit to support your local businesses.”

The Minister was joined by Chris O’Reilly, Chair of Ormeau Business Association, Simon Hamilton of the Belfast Chamber of Commerce, Glyn Roberts of Retail NI and local traders.

Welcoming the scheme, Mr O’Reilly said: “We would like to welcome the Minister to the Ormeau Road – the High Street of the Year. Like many other local high streets across our towns and cities, the Ormeau Road is home to a diverse range of shops, restaurants and pubs which have felt the impact of the pandemic through a reduced number of customers coming through our doors. The High Street Scheme will deliver just the boost we need right now. I am sure I speak for many traders across Northern Ireland when I say we are looking forward to seeing customers using their Spend Local cards.”

Belfast Chamber

Mr Hamilton said: “Belfast Chamber is delighted to support the launch of the Department for the Economy’s Spend Local card. It has been an immensely challenging period for retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses and this £100 Spend Local card will give people the opportunity to actively help those businesses. It is also a great way to support everyone who works in our local shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and other services. This scheme will provide a much needed and very timely boost to those hard-hit sectors and make a massive difference to businesses as we emerge from the pandemic and edge towards recovery.”

Mr Roberts said: “Retail NI has been a strong advocate for the High Street Scheme as a stimulant to support economic recovery. This £100 pre-paid Spend Local Card will be a much needed welcome spending boost for many retailers and our High Streets as whole. Our sector has suffered significantly during the pandemic and the High Street Scheme has come at the right time. I encourage consumers to spend this card with local retailers to boost our economy.”

From 27th of September to 25th of October applicants will be asked to apply through NI Direct.  For verification purposes in order to reduce the risk of fraud and error, each applicant will be asked to provide:

• name;
• address;
• age;
• gender;
• disability status;
• national insurance number;
• email address; and
• telephone number.

Applicants will also have the option of including a driving licence number to enable verification. Once the applicant has completed the registration process their information will be checked against a number of government databases to verify their identity.

The portal is expected to be extremely busy in the days after it opens. Applicants are reminded that the online portal will be open for four weeks and everyone will have a minimum of four weeks to spend their card.

Applicants should receive their Spend Local card within 7-10 days of making their application. When an applicant receives their card, they will need to verify the card through a computer-operated phone system or text message and make the first payment using a pin, before they can start to use it for contactless payments.

The cards can be used in all participating businesses in Northern Ireland. They cannot be used online or for gambling or some financial and legal services.

The telephone support service will open on 11th October. The later opening of the telephone service has been implemented to encourage more people to apply online when the portal opens on 27th September and avoid using the phone line leaving it available for those who do not have access to, or are not able to use, the internet.

A public information campaign across television, radio, press and social media will begin on 16th September to keep applicants up-to-date with the scheme.

Economy Minister Gordon Lyons with Milana Surova of Memento florists on the Ormeau Road, Belfast.
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/spend-local-card
The High Street Scheme Spend Local pre-paid card will be able to be accepted by shops and businesses which can accept credit and debit cards for payment. It cannot be used to purchase goods or services online.

The post Lyons says applications for Spend Local pre-paid card opens 27th September first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

With a surge in shoppers on high streets expected in the run up to the 27 November, Retail NI has urged shoppers to follow the Executive regulations and to make a particular effort to support independent retailers who are facing closure for two weeks. The business group has also issued a five-point plan for shoppers to follow.

Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said “With a surge in shopping on our high streets this week, we would urge shoppers to stay safe and follow the Executive guidance”

Simple five point plan

“Retail NI have produced a simple five-point plan for shoppers to follow”

“We also want to ask shoppers to make a special effort this week to support independent retailers that are being forced to close for two weeks from Friday”

“Why is it that large multi-national supermarkets, who made significant increased profits this year, will be allowed to sell clothes and toys, but yet struggling independent retailers who sell the same products will be forced to close”

Shop local

“The winners of this second lockdown will be multi-nationals and global online retailers and sadly the losers will be our own local small businesses. So, we urge shoppers to make a special effort to support their local independent retailers to ensure these businesses can have a future”

“We need the Executive to bring forward immediate support for those businesses forced to close and produce a ‘survival’ strategy to ensure we save as many jobs and small traders as possible this Christmas”.

The post Stay safe, follow simple guidance – says Retail NI first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Key figures from the study include the convenience sector generated £44.7bn in sales over the last year. Convenience stores have also invested over £585m during the last 12 months in improving their businesses and introducing new services.

Substantial job creator

“The convenience sector’s role as a substantial job creator cannot be overstated. Retailers provide secure, local, flexible jobs that fit alongside other commitments like childcare and helping relatives. This is why job satisfaction in the sector is high, and more than half of the colleagues working in stores see themselves staying in a similar role in five years’ time. Our role as an employer has never been more important” ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said.

Shop local report

This year’s Local Shop Report found that two-thirds of retailers reported an increase in sales over the period, whilst convenience stores are now providing over 600,000 home deliveries a week to local people.

“When the UK went into lockdown in March, millions of people turned to their local shops to help keep them going with essential groceries and services. Retailers have done a stellar job of adapting and developing their businesses to keep up with demand, with no greater example than the incredible growth in home deliveries,” Lowman said.

“We anticipate continued growth in the convenience sector in the coming months and years, as both new and existing customers keep coming back to their local shop.”

IGD also predict growth

Recent research by the Institute of Grocery Distribution suggests that the convenience channel will grow 13.2 per cent by 2022 following a strong 2020. This growth, driven by the coronavirus pandemic, is expected to moderate in 2021 and 2022 but still leave the channel in a stronger position than in 2019.

The growth in sales during the early days of lockdown was a boon to convenience retailers. Although consumers are expected to drift back to the multiples, there are plenty of ways to retain the growth since lockdown, says the IGD.

Online

Some have doubled down on community activities while others have invested in online. The latter is particularly relevant given IGD tips online to be the channel with the highest level of growth by 2022, making it something that every retailer should be at least considering.

But even if you don’t want to venture online, there are plenty of opportunities to keep those new customers into 2022 and beyond. As always, start by talking to them, find out what they like, don’t like and what they’d like to see. Not every suggestion will be viable but they see your store differently to you, and a simple change to your store might be the key to unlocking sales.

The post Local Convenience Stores more important than ever first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.