“The Shawlands Gift Card galvanises people to eat, drink and shop locally rather than leaving the area to do those things”

Two Shawlands businesses have praised the area’s local gift card for keeping money locked into the area. Curious Liquids and Phillies both accept the Shawlands Gift Card, with regular redemptions at both businesses.

Dayton Joline is a wine merchant and the owner of Curious Liquids and said the gift card showcases the best of Shawlands:

“I’ve worked in the pub trade, in retail and in wine importing, and had this idea for a hybrid shop and wine bar which I pitched to Conor Miskimmin, the owner of Phillies. Several months later he got in touch and said he had the space and that was the start of Curious Liquids. We’ve been open for 3.5 years now. It’s a cool and intriguing space and we have one of the best wine lists in Glasgow with over 280 wines, and 250 craft German/Belgian beers and ciders. Our fairly unique wine preservation system means we can also offer over 40 wines by the glass.

“Our collaborative relationship with Phillies means customers can enjoy any of our wines or beers at Phillies with a flat corkage fee, £1.75 for beers or ciders and £7.50 for wines, from bin ends to Barolos! We also serve their pizzettes. Having two complementary businesses working alongside each other makes for a positive, unique customer experience.

“More people are decamping southside to Shawlands. It’s a nice enclave surrounded by parks with a good community. Our customers tend to be mainly locals but we also have customers visiting from the west end of Glasgow and Clarkston way. When the pandemic hit, we were lucky in that we could easily adapt. We offered Click and Collect and had a remarkable response from locals. People wanted to explore what was on their doorstep, and there was a greater focus on local businesses. At the time, we didn’t have a website, so relied on our email lists- but we did it.

It keeps money in the community and showcases the best of Shawlands

“We first heard about the Shawlands Gift Card in 2018 when My Shawlands Business Improvement District (BID) were going around all of the businesses to tell them about a new gift card that could be used right across Shawlands. We liked the idea of the My Shawlands Gift Card and became one of the shops where you can buy the card. It keeps money in the community and showcases the best of Shawlands, you can get your wine from us and walk down to get your cheese or go to the bakery, using your My Shawlands Gift Card just like a debit card. It’s handy for customers to be able to pick up a gift card from us when they’re in the shop, or they can order it online and get it delivered to whoever they want. Even if we’re not open, we can be getting sales.

“When customers redeem their My Shawlands Gift Card, they tend to go for the craft beers or the rarer wines, treating themselves to something special. We’ll also get people in the shop wanting to buy a gift for a craft beer enthusiast, but if they can’t decide, they can get the My Shawlands Gift Card and the recipient can choose what they want for themselves.

“It was easy to get set up to receive the My Shawlands Gift Card as payment. We use the Clover point of sale system which we share with Phillies. My Shawlands BID took a test payment, and now, when we get a gift card, we just swipe it. If we tried to set up our own gift card, it would cost a lot, so being a part of a group scheme is better for us financially, and also better for the community because we’re all working together. Being a part of our local gift card helps us to generate sales. It’s a mutually beneficial scheme that we’re proud to participate in.”

Luke Miskimmin is a manager at Phillies and says the Shawlands Gift Card galvanises locals to eat, drink and shop locally:

“Shawlands is one of the best regeneration success stories in Scotland. When we set up Phillies in 2018, we took over a derelict building and became a bar for the community. We’re here for the people of Shawlands and are proud to be part of the Shawlands charge- we’re all coming up together.

“Phillies and Curious Liquids are separate businesses but we share the same ethos and DNA, to provide that unique, out of the ordinary experience for the customer. We just have different ways of providing that experience. It’s a symbiotic relationship, and the different vibes at each business blend well. Phillies is music oriented and more upbeat.

The Shawlands Gift Card is one of the ways that we, as a community, can control the narrative for the area and make a difference at a local level

“The Shawlands Gift Card is one of the ways that we, as a community, can control the narrative for the area and make a difference at a local level. Shawlands is packed with independent, interesting businesses and when people receive a Shawlands Gift Card, it galvanises them to eat, drink and shop locally rather than leaving the area to do those things.

“Lockdown was tough, but thankfully we had a lot of local support. Phillies is about the experience, and having a good time in a unique setting. It’s difficult to try and capture that experience through takeaway but we did it with the aim of keeping everyone going during a difficult time. 90% of our staff are still working with us and people couldn’t wait for us to open again.

“Curious Liquids gets an awful lot of gift card sales and redemptions, and I think that’s because people buy the Shawlands Gift Card as gifts or will come in and choose their own present. Post pandemic though and people are up for experiences more than ever. Everyone is fed up with being at home, and they want that experience of being out that you can’t replicate at home. That’s a big plus point with the gift card, that you can use it for a night out as well as on more practical items.

“It’s very easy to redeem the Shawlands Gift Card. Our staff know how to accept it and we’ve never had any issues. Usually people will treat themselves when they have a Shawlands Gift Card, so choosing more premium products or a special cocktail. It has been a great thing for Phillies.”

The Shawlands Gift Card launched in 2018 as part of efforts to keep money locked into the Shawlands area and is part of the award winning Town and City Gift Card concept from fintech Miconex. Lisa McLaughlin is Shawlands BID Manager and said it has been a positive project for the area: “We set up the Shawlands Gift Card pre pandemic but since then, the concept of shopping local and stepping up to support our small, independent businesses has become even more important. It has been tough for businesses during the lockdowns and many of the pandemic related challenges remain. I hope people will continue to show their support for Shawlands with the Shawlands Gift Card this Christmas.”