A new cashless way to shop in St Albans has been launched just in time for Christmas! Discover the best of St Albans with one handy gift card that takes the decision out of gifting, but keeps options open for the recipient and the local economy growing for its community.

The St Albans Gift Card caters for coffee lovers and vintage fashionistas, culture seekers and music fans and anyone else you can think of. The St Albans Gift Card is a Mastercard-based card that works in the same way as store gift cards but can be used across the whole City Centre in local and national businesses across a range of sectors. This St Albans BID initiative is a great gift for any occasion and can also be used as an employee incentive or Christmas present. It’s easy to use and ensures your money is spent locally.

Simply choose your card amount. Buy your St Albans Gift Card from St Albans Cathedral shop, Cositas, Holywell Hill or from the dedicated website at www.stalbansgiftcard.co.uk. Give it to friends, family members or colleagues or even keep it for yourself! Recipients can then spend the card at over 80 businesses in the city centre of St Albans.

Helen Burridge, BID Manager of St Albans BID, said, “The St Albans Gift Card is really simple to use. Just look for the signs in shops, restaurants, hairdressers, barbers, beauticians, pubs and cafes’ windows. This is about giving someone a gift of the high street, making sure that money is spent in the local economy, staying with the excellent businesses and staff that are here. If you buy a card as a gift for a friend or loved one, then you’re giving St Albans a gift too.”

The range of businesses that have signed up to the scheme includes independents as well as nationals, with fashion, food, drink, beauty, and gifts all covered, making it the most flexible, and locally sustainable present around!

Participating businesses include:

A Cut Above
Abbots Kitchen
Accessorize
Atelier Ferrari Monti
Camphill Village Trust
Cerimonia
Chaos City Comics
Chloe James Lifestyle
Christopher Wharton Goldsmiths
Clarks Camera Centre
Copperfield
Cositas
Craft & Cleaver
Darlish Ice Cream
Dylans
Earley’s
Empire Records
Eve & Adam
Galio
George Street Canteen
Gladrags
Graphics Plus
Hatch Catering
Hatch Catering Take Away (The Maltings)
Hiit Kitchen
Jago Jewellers
Jo Malone
Joules
Kanuka
Kings Hill Jewellery
L’Italiana
Links London
LK Bennet
Locando
Loft
Lussmanns
Marc Cain
Nomoomoo
Schuh
Simply French
Solutions Inc
St Albans Museum (St Albans Dist)
Sweaty Betty
Swarovski
T M Lewin
The Bishops Cave
The Boot
The Bride
The Cathedral
The Cock (St Albans Taverns)
The Dressing Room
The Peahen
The Snug
The Specs Factory
Tomoka Spirits Boutique
Trespass
Waterers
White Hart Hotel
White Stuff
Wilde about Hair