Essex council launches reward card to encourage people to shop local
They hope it will support people during the cost of living crisis
A new council backed reward card has launched in Essex - as part of a pilot to encourage more people to shop local.
Thirty-six businesses across Essex have so far signed up for the pilot scheme of Essex+, which will reward local shoppers on their purchases.
Essex County Council, which is funding the free scheme, hopes it will help local families deal with the cost of living crisis by providing reward points to help them get something back.
Councillor Lesley Wagland, Cabinet Member for Economic Renewal, Infrastructure and Planning, said: "Essex County Council is proud to launch this innovative reward scheme in these uncertain times.
“The Essex + scheme is designed to give residents a little extra back for shopping locally and helps to support Essex’s businesses. We're encouraging residents who can shop with local independent businesses to do so while also encouraging businesses to offer relevant and meaningful rewards to their loyal customers."
So far, businesses in Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford and Maldon have signed up to the scheme.