The trailblazing Aberdeen Gift Card is now available from a state-of-the-art self-service kiosk in Union Square – the only one of its kind in Scotland.
The new vending machine will bolster the gift card scheme – brought to the city by Aberdeen Inspired – in its aim to boost “bricks and mortar” businesses while driving up footfall in the city centre.
The move will heighten the impact and reputation of the Aberdeen Gift Card, named as the UK’s most successful gift card having injected more than £3million into the local economy since it began in 2020.
The introduction of the easy-to-use outlet at Union Square is the first example of a major Scottish shopping centre offering the sale of its city’s local gift card via a branded self-service kiosk.
Aberdeen Gift Cards from £10-£500 can be purchased through the kiosk, with a choice of two gift card holder designs, which will be updated seasonally. The card can be spent with more than 300 Granite City businesses.
Ryan Manson, centre director at Union Square, said: “The Aberdeen Gift Card is the most successful city centre gift card in the UK, and we are delighted that our customers are now able to purchase their Gift Card from the Aberdeen Gift Card kiosk at Union Square.”
In addition to the Union Square kiosk, Aberdeen Gift Cards can be purchased at the Bon Accord Centre and Trinity Centre, with around 50% of annual sales delivered through the shopping centres.
Shona Byrne, project manager with Aberdeen Inspired, said the collaboration with Union Square enhances convenience for customers, further driving shop local in the city.
“The Aberdeen Gift Card was introduced to harness shop local sentiment in Aberdeen, and give people an easy, convenient way to show their support for their city, and that’s exactly what it has done with over £3.4million in sales to date,” she said.
“People purchase the Aberdeen Gift Card for the choice of places to spend it offers and to support local, but integral to that purchase is convenience. This is why we invest time in making the Aberdeen Gift Card available to buy in person from multiple locations in the city, including the Bon Accord Centre, the Trinity Centre and now Union Square.”
Shona said the self-service Aberdeen Gift Card kiosk means customers don’t need to wait for a staff member to assist them, they can buy the card in moments, then carry on with their shopping.
She said: “We know that people love giving the gift of the Aberdeen Gift Card because of the huge range of choice it gives those who receive it, from going for a meal out to a night at the theatre, buying new clothes to getting a makeover at a salon.
“This new and eye-catching kiosk next to Boots in Union Square makes it even easier for people to buy a gift card for friends and family this Christmas and all year round.”
The Union Square kiosk is manufactured by Clearhill in association with Miconex. Miconex delivers the technology for more than 100 Town & City Gift Cards programmes across the UK and Ireland, including the Aberdeen Gift Card.
Brian McAreavey, commercial director at Clearhill, said: “Our collaboration with Union Square, Aberdeen Inspired and Miconex is an important milestone in making it easier for shopping centres to offer a gift card to their customers - at no cost - that their shoppers love, and that enables the centre to play an active role in the success of their town or city.”
David O’Neil, chief commercial officer at Miconex, said: “The introduction of the self-service kiosk at Union Square is an excellent example of using technology to meet the changing needs of today’s consumers.
“Having such a key player in the city like Union Square collaborating on an initiative that will keep even more spend locked into Aberdeen is fantastic, and I'd encourage shopping centres with a similar opportunity to get in touch.”
You can find out more about the Aberdeen Gift Card here