Guest Blog - The LoveTopsham Shopping Card

Topsham in mid-winter: it’s beautiful, crisp and full of anticipation of the year ahead yet I’m going to miss those beautiful Christmas lights that made the last few weeks of 2019 so wonderful in the town; I miss, too, the throng of people who filled Topsham on that fantastic shopping evening.

Those are great memories that will linger until spring when the town will be at its busiest again – and busy, in a good way, is exactly what it’s been thanks to our splendid shops, restaurants, cafes, community groups and something called the Love Topsham Card.

Even after 18 years living here I feel I’ve changed the way I shop and enjoy the town thanks to this card. As you probably know it means reductions and deals in many Topsham outlets but my take on it is this: getting a discount is great, yet even if you don’t use it for that purpose, having a card gives you a bigger stake in the town and its success.

As a result it’s made me do more and shop more here, and less elsewhere. I’m increasingly fascinated at how busy Topsham is, how well businesses are doing, how relatively few empty shops we have compared to elsewhere…. these have all become more important to me. For those reasons, I’ve renewed my card for 2020 and it seems I’m not the only one.

Friends of mine, Helen and Paul, put it like this: “We feel it’s galvanized support for our local businesses and community activities. Love Topsham gives excellent publicity to the many Topsham events and we shall certainly renew.”

Another, Deborah, says that she regularly uses it for discounts at the Topsham Bookshop and for yoga classes at Revitalise – those, with coffees in the cafes offering reductions, means the card costing just £3 a month pays for itself easily.

And an extra bonus is that it’s a win-win for local businesses. Rachel at Country Cheeses, says: “Love Topsham has definitely given our sales a boost – we noticed it from the week it launched and it’s carried on ever since. It’s created a real Shop Local mentality”

Charlie and Harry, those two friendly lads at Number 3 cafe and bar, think the same. “We’ve loved being involved with the Love Topsham card. Many of our local customers use it and it makes us feel more connected to the community” they say.

This is about much more than just a card of course: those fantastic Christmas lights and that magical December shopping night were just part of what Love Topsham do in the town, funded by people signing up for the card. There will be plenty more going on throughout 2020 too.

Having a Love Topsham card brings you into the heart of what makes Topsham tick: it pays for itself easily if you want it to, and it means we’ve contributed to making a great place an even better one thanks to the work of the small group behind it all.

Why not make it a New Year’s resolution to pick up a card now? Get one here! 

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Find out more about Topsham here or view the LoveTopsham events calendar here!