An innovation between Letterkenny Chamber and local businesses is set to reach the magic €1 million mark.
Shop LK voucher sales have been increasing year on year and have really caught the imagination of the public.
Young and old buy them throughout the year for gifts and prizes or are given them as staff bonuses.
Thousands of Euro worth are sold each year since the scheme started in 2006 and total sales are about to reach €1m and exciting landmark for Shop LK and Letterkenny Chamber.
John Watson, Chamber President said they are delighted that we are about to reach the €1m mark on our Shop LK scheme.
“It’s such a great achievement to have this amount of money being spent right here in Letterkenny and all the time reinforcing the shop local concept. Letterkenny led the way in this campaign and we are now seeing the results.
“Over the last 6 years this represents €1m that has been spent only in Letterkenny and there is also a spin off effect where consumers spend more during any transaction. This contributes to supporting these outlets and most importantly supporting local jobs.”
Vouchers are bought throughout the year by individuals, groups and businesses whose staff have opted to have them instead of cash bonuses.
A percentage of the sales are to corporate clients but every voucher sold makes a difference and has contributed to making this one of the most successful town voucher schemes in the entire country.
“The Shop LK initiative offers local consumers an opportunity to support their local town in a really tangible way. Sales have increased year on year and the outlets involved in the initiative get real benefits. Many other towns have now developed local shopping initiatives but Letterkenny Chamber started Shop LK well before the recession and over the years it has caught the imagination of the general public,” added the Chamber President.
However Shop LK is more than vouchers. It’s about promoting Letterkenny as a retail destination, the commercial hub of the county.
Letterkenny provides something unique not found in neighbouring towns and cities – a main street with many independent traders, a local town feel with high street names, a clean well kept town, ample and reasonably priced parking close to the shopping areas and not least helpful and friendly staff who will go that extra mile to give customers exactly what they need. The “Shop LK – Love Shopping Letterkenny” brand helps to underpin all that is good about shopping in Letterkenny for local people and visitors alike.
Letterkenny Chamber makes no money from the sale or redemption of vouchers so every cent brought in through Shop LK is invested back into the promotion of the brand throughout the year. Through the Shop LK initiative Letterkenny Chamber has always advocated the principles of keeping it local. The brand and the vouchers are a way of celebrating all that is good in Letterkenny.
Vouchers are spent on a wide variety of goods and services, from an oil fill to a beauty treatment, from a gourmet meal to a quick sandwich, from your grocery shopping to the perfect gift.
Over 90 outlets, from household names to local independent traders accept the vouchers reflecting the fantastic variety that is available in Letterkenny. Available in €5, €10 and €20 denominations they make the perfect gift for old and young alike, for families, for those moving house or getting married. The list of uses is endless.
Toni Forrester of Letterkenny Chamber who has watched the initiative develop and mature over the last 3 years says “Reaching the €1m landmark is great news for Letterkenny Chamber, great news for the 90 Shop LK members that contribute so much to the scheme and great news for Letterkenny. We weren’t sure we would get to this figure so early in the year so we intend to celebrate.
“Over the Easter season we will be selling vouchers at the Chamber office for anyone needing that perfect Easter gift, we’ll have a prize draw for those coming in to buy and we will be announcing name of the person who buys the €1m voucher at a celebration on 18th April, where we also hope to have the person who bought the very first voucher back in 2006.
“This year we are also being supported by Letterkenny Town Council to promote Letterkenny as a retail centre and we have plans to really put Shop LK and Letterkenny on the map.”
Letterkenny Chamber could not run this highly successful initiative without the support of FAS community employment programme through which the Chamber is staffed. It is the frontline staff in the Chamber that provide the much needed resources throughout the year to make Shop LK such a success and the support of FAS is very much appreciated.
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