New plan launched to help attract shoppers back to the Gainsborough high street

A new programme to attract shoppers back to the high street by harnessing digital technology has been launched in West Lindsey.
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Local Rewards, a collaboration between West Lindsey District Council and social media specialists, Maybe Tech, aims to help businesses across the area recover from the impact of Covid-19 by giving them the support they need to reach more customers and make more sales.

The programme will go live featuring 4,400 businesses from across the West Lindsey district and will offer free training and tools to companies looking to take part.

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Coun Owen Bierley, leader of West Lindsey District Council, said: “We are delighted to have brought Maybe Tech on board for the next 12 months to support our businesses.

A programme to attract shoppers back to the high street by harnessing digital technology has been launchedA programme to attract shoppers back to the high street by harnessing digital technology has been launched
A programme to attract shoppers back to the high street by harnessing digital technology has been launched

“The impact of Covid-19 changed the way businesses operate and following discussions with local businesses we recognised that we needed to offer additional support.

“Maybe Tech has proved to be successful in other areas and we want our businesses to benefit too.”

Local Rewards allows businesses to communicate with, and reward shoppers, when they hit the high streets.

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It has been created with the intention of ‘levelling the playing field’ through enhanced digital skills, enabling small businesses to have access to the same level of tools and know-how as big businesses with bigger budgets.

Businesses can also cross-promote and support their High Street neighbours to create an online network of connected traders. 

The Local Rewards programme already features more than 6,900 businesses from across the region and data within the technology shows that in West Lindsey around 900 high street businesses use social media and of those retailers around 286 (31 per cent) are active, posting most days.

Polly Barnfield OBE, CEO of Maybe Tech said: “Around two thirds of shoppers regularly look online for inspiration and the Local Rewards programme groups all social media content by location to encourage people to browse their local high street and then rewards them for their local spend.”

High Street businesses and shoppers can access the Local Rewards programme online at www.localrewards.chat.