A city centre gift card has been introduced this week in Bath.

The Bath Gift Card is the perfect flexible present for any occasion. Launched by Bath Business Improvement District, the Bath Gift Card is the ideal option for those tricky-to-buy-for loved ones as it can be redeemed at a huge range of outlets across Bath.

Bath has something for everyone – from visitors who want to see the city sights to local residents looking for a special treat. The Bath Gift Card is also great for an employee or corporate incentive scheme, or to fulfil a wedding gift list.

Whilst own-brand gift cards are common place in retailers and shopping centres across the UK, place gift cards are relatively new and Bath is one of the first cities in the country to introduce a card. It works in the same way to a store gift card but can be redeemed at a wide range of retailers, restaurants, hotels, bars and attractions across the city.
Bath BID believes the new city centre gift card will help encourage a higher level of city centre spending and increase footfall post-Christmas and in the long term.

Allison Herbert, CEO of the Bath BID is delighted to announce the launch on behalf of BID members;
“The Bath Gift Card is a gift that shows you care about the recipient but also care about our city. It is a great alternative to existing national cards and online gifting options. It represents an important development for both local businesses and the local economy as it can spent in a wide range of participating shops, restaurants, bars, hotels and leisure facilities all within Bath.”
“The project will help increase trade in the city centre, helping us to compete against other retail and tourist destinations as well as online shopping sites such as Amazon and EBay.”
“A gift card scheme for Bath city centre will provide a highly efficient sales and marketing tool. It will also enable our independent businesses – who could otherwise not afford a card programme – to benefit from more visits, new customers and additional sales.”
“This card will benefit both individual businesses and the city centre as a whole.”
“Recipients of the gift card will have the flexibility to spend the card throughout the city centre and won’t be restricted to spending the value at a single business. With Christmas around the corner, our gift card is the perfect local gift for people in Bath”.

The Bath gift card design was done by local artist and illustrator Laura Fearn (who designed Streetwise for the Minerva Owls of Bath sculpture trail).

The Bath Gift Card can be purchased online from www.bathgiftcard.com and from designated sales points in the city, such as My Small World in Southgate.

The card can be loaded with as little as £10 or as much as £500, and the choice of where to spend it is huge. There are more than 190 participating businesses, which include national and international high street chains such as Gap, Tiger, Hobbs, H&M, Blacks, HMV, Feather & Black and Dr Martens, department stores Jolly’s and Debenenhams – as well as smaller independents such as Pug & Puffin, Vinegar Hill, Mr Bs Book Emporium, Happology Childrenswear, John Moore Sports and Mallory Jewellers to name but a few.

The Bath Gift Card can also be redeemed at an assortment of eateries from Amaroni to Zizzi – including Firehouse Rotisserie, Brasserie Blanc, Nandos, Patisserie Valerie, Bengal Brasserie, Yo Sushi, Green Rocket Café, Yum Yum Thai, Saracen’s Head, Vino Vino and many more.

The card can be used at the major attractions (e.g. The Roman Baths, Victoria Art Gallery, The Fashion Museum, the Jane Austen Centre), to book a stay in a hotel (eg the Hilton, The Francis Hotel, No. 15 Great Pulteney Street, Travelodge), to get your hair done (eg Toni & Guy, Essensuals, Frontline Style) or even for health & beauty treatments (Thermae Bath Spa, Radiance Wellbeing). For a full list of participating businesses, please visit www.bathgiftcard.com.

Nicholas Wylde, Goldsmith & Jeweller commented;
“It is very exciting that this method for supporting local independent businesses is coming to Bath. Anything that keeps the side street independents alive is excellent and we’re very happy to see that Bath BID has taken this on board. We’re looking forward to our community coming together to support these brilliant shops. Let’s hope lots of people have them turn up in their Christmas stockings!”

Colin Munro, Managing Director of Miconex, commented;
“We are very excited about the potential for the Bath Gift Card to lock in additional spend for Bath businesses and to encourage consumers to fully explore this amazing city. The response from businesses across the city centre has been fantastic with over 190 registering to accept the gift card. Bath is undoubtedly unique and I think that the new gift card represents this well – you can use it anywhere from the ancient Baths to Primark!”

Dawn Burden, Director of My Small World Toy Shop;
“We love the bath Gift Card because it gives customers the brilliant opportunity to gift a whole shopping experience around Bath’s awesome, beautiful and unique stores.”

“We are delighted to be selling the Bath Gift Card to both residents and tourists. Located where we are in SouthGate, we naturally meet people new to Bath and it gives us the chance to advise and cherry pick experiences for them. With the Bath Gift Card they can do it all.”

Poet, Beth Calverley, penned:

“It’s the gift you really want to give.
The city so gorgeous
that gods once lived beneath her spring.”

(View/download the full poem, Gift-Giving here)