24th November 2025
Heads of the three Belfast City Centre Business Improvement Districts have announced businesses signed up to the Belfast City Centre Gift Card scheme have benefitted from a spend of almost £1,000,000 to date.
The Belfast City Centre Gift Card is a multi-BID (Business Improvement District) initiative between Belfast One BID, Cathedral Quarter BID and Linen Quarter BID and since launching in 2017, has injected around £800,000 into the local economy, with the one million pound mark expected to be reached this Christmas.
The card can be used in over 260 retailers, restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues throughout the city making it the ideal consumer footfall driver to the city, but also has benefits for businesses considering corporate gifting.
Martina Connolly, CEO of Belfast One BID speaking on behalf of all three BIDs commented; “Northern Ireland has a close-knit business community that respects the power of local. We can all thrive when working together, so investing in a gift card scheme where the money goes straight back into the local business community makes sense, not to mention the tax advantage under HMRC’s Trivial Benefits rule, allowing a company to gift up to £50 per employee tax free.”
It’s a benefit Niall McKenna from James Street in the Linen Quarter and Waterman House in the Cathedral Quarter has taken advantage of in recent years; “Yes, the tax benefit is an advantage, but for me, it’s all about supporting businesses locally and that is a value that runs through our restaurants. We advocate daily for Belfast City Centre as a destination, and purchasing Belfast City Centre Gift Cards for our team at Christmas puts our words into action and keeps our city centre thriving.”
John Lunn, Managing Director, Lunn’s Jewellers agrees; “Gifting in a meaningful way has always propelled our business forward, and as a family-run jewellers and part of Belfast’s retail landscape for over 70 years, our team also understands the power of meaningful gifts and choosing to shop local. Giving our team members the choice of what to spend their Christmas gift on also boosts morale, which brings positivity throughout the team.”
The studies back up those claims, with The GCVA’s Thought Leadership Report finding that 72% of employees said receiving a gift card made them feel more positive about their employer, with 71% of employers expected to increase their use of gift cards and non-cash rewards in the next 12 months.
The Belfast City Centre Gift Card is available to purchase online as an e-card, while physical cards can be purchased at the brand new kiosk on the ground floor of CastleCourt Shopping Centre.
For more, visit BelfastOne.co.uk/Belfast-gift-card.
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Media Contact: Jane Williams, JComms – jane.williams@jcomms.co.uk
