A SCHEME in Watlington to encourage residents to support independent businesses is celebrating its first birthday.
About 17 businesses have signed up to the loyalty scheme created by the Watlington Business Association alongside retailers in High Street.
They include the Calnan Brothers butchers’, Peppermint and Lime spa and the Spire and Spoke pub.
The scheme also has an annual prize draw with the next one taking place on February 1.
Leia Saunders, who owns No. 4 Children’s Shop, and Steph Van de Pette, who owns SO Sustainable, both in High Street, came up with the idea.
Ms Saunders, who lives in Cuxham, said: “A lot of the big chains have loyalty schemes — and they’re promoted a lot — but I was trying to work out how we could get more people to shop in the High Street.
“We’re very lucky that a lot of our customers do use most of the shops in the High Street but it was trying to work out a way to give back to people that support us.”
Ms Saunders said she mentioned the idea to Mrs Van de Pette and the pair put it together in November 2024. The scheme had its first prize draw in February 2025.
She said: “The customers that use the loyalty scheme, the reception has been very positive. I think they like to know that they have a chance of winning something just for doing their normal shopping. All the people that have won prizes have been over the moon. That’s been really nice, because they’re always really excited.”
Mrs Van de Pette has lived in Spring Lane, Watlington, for 11 years with her husband, Matthew, and set up SO Sustainable in 2019.
She said: “Leia and I were chatting one day and suggested some sort of prize draw? We’re always trying to think of ideas to get more people on to the High Street and it went from there.
“I’m on the committee for the business association and we took the idea to them, and they all said that they would give it a go. We launched it for our late-night shopping event in 2024.
“One aim is to give back to all our customers. It’s nice to be able to give them a reward for their loyalty of shopping on the High Street. By having this scheme, it helps us tap into each other’s customer bases without competing and I think it has strengthened connections between the independent businesses.”
Participants are given cards which can be stamped once they spend about £25 or more. Prize-winners receive the retail value of about £250 from five of the participating businesses.
There are three draws each year in total, one in February, one in June and one in November, with each business taking it in turns to contribute to the prize.
The stamp cards feature original art by artist Harriet Riddell, daughter of John Riddell, who is chairman of the association and owner of the Spire and Spoke.
Robin Holmes-Smith, of Hill Road, Watlington, owns the Granary Deli with his wife, Francesca. The couple stock products supplied by small, independent businesses. Mr Holmes-Smith said: “The scheme works so well. It just knits the High Street together.
“As a business community, we get on so well. We’re all very helpful to each other, we try very hard not to step on each other’s toes and we always pass on information that we need to one another. The loyalty scheme has positively affected our footfall.”
Catherine Johnson, who lives in Britwell Salome, owns The Italian Handbag Company, which has been in the High Street for about eight years.
Ms Johnson said: “The loyalty scheme is a brilliant idea and it does work. People really engage with it and they seem to like it. It really does play on the sense of community here as well.
“I can’t work out why businesses wouldn’t want to sign up, but we’re all different aren’t we?”
