Businesses in Bury St Edmunds are looking forward to a post-Christmas spending spree from holders of the Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card. Since its launch two years ago, nearly £100,000-worth of the cards have been purchased and more than £2,000-worth was bought in the first week of this month alone.

And with postal strikes and the Christmas rush leaving some concerned about ordering online to have the gift card put in the post to them – Our Bury St Edmunds has signed up more town centre businesses where the gift card can be picked up and loaded with cash straight away. There are now seven places around the town centre that stock the card and it’s accepted by more than 70 businesses, with both branches of Waterstones set to join after Christmas.

Mark Cordell, Chief Executive of Our Bury St Edmunds, said: “The Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card has gone from strength to strength since its launch and the fact that just shy of £100,000-worth of cards has been bought is testament to that. Picking one up at one of our local businesses then loading the amount you want to give onto the card really could not be easier from the full instructions on the envelope. You avoid the postage charge for having the card sent to you, there’s no worry about it not arriving in time and it’s ready to give to the recipient in just a couple of taps of your screen.

“Of course, cash loaded onto a card doesn’t have to be spent all once either – the recipient of an Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card could use it to treat themselves at a town centre shop, enjoy a meal out, a trip to the cinema or a coffee or beer with friends.”

Buy the Light owner Lesley Bancroft was among the first businesses in the town to make the gift card available to customers as well as accepting it. She said: “This is a very good fit for our business as Buy the Light is a shop people love to come to for gifts, but sometimes our customers want to let the person they are buying for choose their own gift and that’s why the Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card is ideal – the recipient can come in and choose something in their favourite fragrance or be adventurous with our regular new lines.”

The Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card is also available to pick up directly from Lorfords, Pro-Cook, Shuffle Board Game Café, Hunter Club, Neal’s Yard Remedies and Vinyl Hunter and is accepted by a wide range of town centre shops and businesses. It is Mastercard-based for added purchasing confidence.

For more information or to buy the card online visit www.ourburystedmunds.com.