One third of Spend Local card funds spent in businesses not forced to close

By Rebecca Black, PA

More than a third of funds from a voucher scheme to boost the high street were spent in businesses not forced to close during lockdown, new figures have revealed.

Almost £137m was spend in 3.7 transactions using £100 Spend Local cards as part one of Stormont’s flagship Covid recovery stimulus measures.

All householders across Northern Ireland were eligible for one of the £100 Spend Local cards.

A new report by the Department for the Economy found that £84.9m (62%) was spent in businesses that had been required by the Covid regulations to close during 2020.

Conversely some 38% was spent in businesses which had not had to close.

Analysis also shows that 87% (£118m) of funds were spent in retail businesses with a further £10m (8%) spent in accommodation and food service businesses, £4m (3%) spent on other service activities, and £1m (1%) in professional, scientific and technical businesses.

It found that the average amount spent on activated cards was £97.94, and that the busiest day of transactions was Sunday November 14, 2021 when 104,477 transactions were recorded.