Regular contributor Millicent has emailed me with details of the new Wedge card. Aimed at giving local, independent shops the Wedge edge, the card is the brainchild of Big Issue founder John Bird. Here's what they say in their blurb:Wedge Card is a new way to get discounts/savings and special offers from hundreds of local shops and independent businesses. We aim to re-vitalise local communities by offering a reward to customers choosing to shop locally. We launched in Central London in December 2006 and will be spreading across the UK in the months to come. Wedge is the little man. The local independent shopkeeper and all the locals who love the fact that their High Street hasn't fallen prey to the large multinational large chain, turning it well into well, a faceless, desensitized "brand only" environment. At Wedge we know that individually we might be small, but when we all come together, we're rather big and tall and our bite is just as big as our bark. Together we can help keep our local High Street local and independent. So join us today and let's keep all that's good and independent about your high street.
OK, it's only London based at the moment. But given the state of our local high streets, which seem to be having the life sucked out of them by the big brands at Brownwater (Westwood Cross), it's surely worth getting in touch and seeing if they plan to roll it out round here toute de suite, isn't it?
Click here to go to Wedge website
7 comments:
Isn't this simply a loyalty shopper discount scheme similar to that which memebers of the Eastcliff Resident's Association enjoyed? ERA got there first - where are they now by the way?
Schemes like this are of ten relatively short lived and don't create much loyalty after all. Traders taking part only end up saying goodbye to another chunk of their hard earned profits.
Nick, Whits
I disagree it seems to be working in London why not give it a try here?
All sounds a bit Tubbs and Edward to me. We'll end up looking after the 'precious things' and burning policemen before we know it!
Chances are if it was introduced in Ramsgate, the money off would be for things nobody really wants rather than the things we need every day and would actually find useful.
Nick, Whits
Like White Lightning and crack.
Anything is better than Tdc current plans for our town centres.Higher parking charges, free one hour parking ended, art nobody wants to see, re no visitors at the appalling exhibition at the M&S, cafes which local people cannot afford the latte/smothie prices. Anything that gets local people back onto our fast declining High streets is VERY welcomed.
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