New technology sees digital high streets adopted in the Midlands

A Sutton Coldfield business has launched an innovative new scheme intended to rejuvenate the shopping experience for visitors to towns across the Midlands.

Rewarding Visits first implemented the new technology in its home town last year and the full system has now been rolled out into Nottinghamshire.

The technology will offer the people of Mansfield access to money-saving offers and promotions in a move which is intended to boost footfall in the town’s main shopping area.

The scheme has proved an instant hit, with 1,000 locals signing up to the offer in the first four days of it going live.

On Saturday alone, more than 200 vouchers from 119 retailers were printed for use in the town, stimulating an estimated £6,000 of local spending.

Mansfield’s Business Improvement District revamped its existing ‘I Love Mansfield’ card campaign in preparation for the scheme going live.

It installed four digital touchpoints to allow shoppers easy access to the technology, which allows shoppers to print out vouchers to use on money-saving offers and promotions available at a range of town centre businesses.
 
Local firms benefit from adding their offers and promotions to the platform, which shoppers will be able to view on their smartphones through an app or at the touchpoints.

Around 120 retailers ranging from Boots and Wetherspoons to small locally-owned independents have backed to scheme.

In addition to extra business, the companies will be able to access valuable data on shoppers that have interacted with their offers both for ongoing marketing and additional promotional opportunities.
 
Rewarding Visits founder, Guy Chatburn said: “Mansfield has an extremely forward-thinking BID team that makes it stand out from many other towns. We are very excited to be launching our technology (there) and are sure that it will be a hit with shoppers and local retailers alike.”
 
He said it had been relatively straightforward to adapt the existing card initiative for use with its technology.

“Our ability to create microsites supporting schemes meant the BID team didn’t need to commission a new website or app,” he added.
 
Rewarding Visits was one of three companies to win funding from Innovate UK in 2015 to develop innovative new technologies to address the challenges facing the high street.
 
Shopper membership in the Sutton Coldfield trial scheme has grown around 170% since early 2016.

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