Introducing Local Rewards

Local Rewards | Your Shop Local Card.

For the past few months, we’ve been getting ready to launch Local Rewards into the world. Despite some significant Covid-related setbacks, we are very excited to announce that the Local Rewards scheme will be live in the first week of August.

So, we’d like to introduce ourselves. It’s our pleasure to acquaint you with your new favourite way to shop.

Local Rewards was born in Surry Hills, devised by local business operators and the folks at the Surry Hills Creative Precinct. We wanted to find a way to support and reward our community’s businesses, retailers and shoppers, without the need for big corporations. We’re on the ground – our office is in Surry Hills and we know most of our participating businesses well.

Our prepaid gift card program enables businesses to offer rewards and deals to shoppers, diners and drinkers, during lockdown and beyond. The aim is to get people shopping locally and thoughtfully at small businesses and retailers in Surry Hills and the inner east.

Businesses in Surry Hills, Redfern, Chippendale, Darlinghurst and Potts Point can sign up to Local Rewards. Any business with an EFTPOS terminal can participate, including sole traders and consultants.  

The prepaid gift card format is simple: load and activate your card, choose a participating business or retailer, spend some money and earn a reward that’s been custom devised by that business to suit their offering. Think a free second coffee, a percentage off your dinner bill, or a special offer for Local Rewards customers only.

Working closely with the City of Sydney, the Surry Hills Creative Precinct and other local business chambers, our scheme is designed to benefit businesses and customers, with all profits directed back into the local community. 

We want to involve as many facets of our community as possible. The most obvious are those businesses who are struggling with their foot traffic given the recent Covid restrictions and the strain this has had on the local economy. We want to incentivise shoppers to support these businesses, and in turn be rewarded for this important contribution to rebuilding local commerce.

We’re also trying to engage local artists in the scheme. Local legend Nico, whose public art murals can be found all over Sydney and on streets around the world, designed our inaugural gift card. As we grow and gain momentum, we intend to get more artists on board to design our gift cards, as another avenue to showcase Sydney’s artistic talent.

We believe our Local Rewards scheme is pretty unique – we want to keep local spending within the community, to activate businesses and get commerce thriving during these difficult times, and when we’re out the other side.

We’d love you to get involved, whether you’re a shopper or a business. Be a part of our community and let’s celebrate all the amazing businesses, retailers and people of Surry Hills and the inner east.