Aberdonians are being asked to nominate their favourite local business in the Granite City as part of a national competition – with the chance of winning a £1,000 Aberdeen Gift Card as a possible prize.
The UK’s Favourite Local Business competition aims to give shops, restaurants, salons, hotels and attractions a much-needed boost by putting them in the spotlight.
It comes as retailers gear up for the first Shop Aberdeen long weekend this week, staged by Aberdeen Inspired to help promote “bricks and mortar” businesses in the city centre.
Aberdeen Inspired also manages the Aberdeen Gift Card and is backing the UK’s Favourite Local Business 2024 campaign, sponsored by Fintech Miconex, founders of the Town & City Gift Card concept.
People can nominate their favourite local shop, restaurant, salon, hotel or attractions in the UK-wide competition at lovelocalwin.co.uk, free, giving the name of the local business they think deserves to win and why.
The business with the most nominations will be named as the UK’s Most Popular and win a £500 Town & City Gift Card, such as the Aberdeen Gift Card, with one person who nominated the winning business receiving a £1,000 gift card.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “Aberdeen leads the way with its profusion of outstanding local businesses – 320 of them are part of the trailblazing Aberdeen Gift Card.
“We think the UK’s Favourite Local Business is right here in Aberdeen and encourage people to nominate their favourite business in the city.”
The Aberdeen Gift Card can be used like currency in more than 300 shops – many of them taking part in Shop Aberdeen – as well as bars, restaurants, beauty and hair salons and other outlets in the city. It was last year named as the UK’s most successful gift card.
The vast majority of retailers taking part in Shop Aberdeen – featuring unique discounts, offers and events from Thursday, October 24, to Sunday, October 27 – accept the Aberdeen Gift Card.
More than 20,000 local businesses are part of Miconex’s local gift card programmes around the world with over £30m spent locally through the cards.
Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “We’re pleased to launch the search to find the UK’s Favourite Local Business in Aberdeen as we champion ‘shop local’ in the run up to Christmas.
“Shop local sentiment continues to build in the UK with 98% of people saying they’re keen to support local. Nominating a business is one way to show your support for local businesses, and we’ll be celebrating nominations as they come in.”
Enter the UK’s Favourite Local Business competition free at: www.lovelocalwin.co.uk
The competition closes on the October 31, 2024.
