Bolton Market - ’UK’s first’ loyalty card

The owners of Bolton Market have launched what they say is the UK’s first market-based loyalty card scheme.

The scheme, which is being piloted for six months will be offered across 10 of the markets traders, using contactless technology to deliver rewards to those who sign up.

Bolton Council’s Akthar Zaman said it would encourage people to “support local producers and businesses”.

The card, which costs £2, offers a percentage cashback on purchases, which card-holders can then use towards their future shopping at the market. Points are swiped onto the card by traders when items are purchased.

Phil Capper, Managing Director of the multi-channel communication platform, ATTAIN commented on the story saying: "I’m pleased to see that the launch of the Bolton Market customer loyalty card has once again highlighted the importance and value of customer loyalty.

“Every business feels that they have a loyal customer base to some degree however, the key ingredient for making loyalty schemes such as this successful, comes down to the information businesses are able to learn about their customers. If businesses use the information and data customers share with them to understand their preferences, habits and behaviour they can begin to deliver a tailored and engaged customer experience, increasing sales as well as retaining customer loyalty.”