About Kilmarnock Football Club
Founded in 1869, Kilmarnock Football Club is the oldest professional football club in Scotland and the biggest provincial club. Gregg McEwan, General Manager at Kilmarnock Football Club, told us more about why they support the East Ayrshire Gift Card. The East Ayrshire Gift Card is delivered by East Ayrshire Council.
Why do you accept the East Ayrshire Gift Card?
“Kilmarnock Football Club is one of the biggest retailers in East Ayrshire, and when we first heard about the East Ayrshire Gift Card launching in 2020, we knew it was an initiative we wanted to support as part of our wider strategy to support our community. Kilmarnock Football Club is extremely active in the community, for example, through our Killie Community, a charity that uses football as a force for good. We see the East Ayrshire Gift Card as a force for good within the community too, and a way that the community can work together to support the local area. As a major retailer, it’s important that we lead by example, encouraging other merchants to accept the card, and locals to buy it.”
What are the benefits of accepting the East Ayrshire Gift Card?
“For the club, people can spend their Gift Card on stock in our shop and that obviously increases sales in our shop. The card is easy for us to accept as a retailer, and there are no additional costs to accept the card. For the community, we only accept the physical version of the East Ayrshire Gift Card because we see the card as a way to drive footfall, not only to our shop, but to a wide variety of local businesses in East Ayrshire. Accepting the East Ayrshire Gift Card is a way that we can use our influence to benefit the community. When people look and see where the East Ayrshire Gift Card can be spent, seeing brands they trust and immediately recognise like Kilmarnock Football Club builds the perceived value of the card, so it becomes a gift they want to buy.”
What do you think about the East Ayrshire Gift Card?
“I think the East Ayrshire Gift Card is a great idea, especially the fact that it’s not industry specific. Some Gift Cards are just for retail, whereas the East Ayrshire Gift Card is for retail, hospitality, leisure and attractions, services and more. There is a broad spectrum of places to spend the card, and that’s the card’s USP – it’s a gift that works for all ages and interests because of the choice.”
How would you like to see the East Ayrshire Gift Card develop?
“A lot has been achieved with the East Ayrshire Gift Card already. In the past, East Ayrshire Council used the card to support low income families, and we definitely noticed more of the cards being spent during that time by families who might not otherwise have been able to purchase that first Killie kit. This work by East Ayrshire Council with the East Ayrshire Gift Card aligns closely to our work with the Killie Community, showing that both football and local Gift Cards can be used as a force for good. For the East Ayrshire Gift Card I think it’s a case of keeping the momentum going and continuing the positive work of the card to support local people, places and communities.”
Do you have any advice for other organisations?
“As a football club, we have such a massive responsibility to the local area to back initiatives that boost our community, like the East Ayrshire Gift Card. For organisations thinking about accepting the East Ayrshire Gift Card or their local Town & City Gift Card, I’d say it’s a worthwhile initiative, it doesn’t cost you anything, encourages collaboration and will bring you sales. For other football clubs thinking of accepting their local Town & City Gift Card, it’s a way that you can use your muscle as a club for the benefit of your community, encouraging people to buy a local Gift Card where the benefit stays local over a national Gift Card where the money leaves the area. This includes not only accepting the card, but promoting it too. At the club, we have 94% reach across the East Ayrshire area, so using our social channels to let people know we accept the card and how to spend it with us not only encourages redemptions but lends our support to the initiative overall.”