Independent retailer La Maison Boutique is reporting increased sales and footfall after becoming both a participating business and an in-person sales point for the Love Oxted Gift Card.
Based in the Surrey town of Oxted, the gift and lifestyle shop joined the local gift card programme when it launched in November 2025 and quickly saw results. In November and December alone, the store sold more than £3,000 worth of Love Oxted Gift Cards, drawing shoppers into the store during the busy festive period.
While La Maison Boutique already offers its own gift card, being part of the Love Oxted Gift Card allows customers to shop across more than 40 participating local businesses.
Funded by Love Oxted – the brand name for the Oxted Business Improvement District (BID) – the card is part of the wider Town & City Gift Cards programme, backed by global gift card specialist Miconex.
Owner Sammy Green commented: “When we heard about the idea, we were on board straight away. The feedback we’ve had from customers has been fantastic. They love the ease of it and the ability to spend right across Oxted on exactly what they want. If someone has, say, a £30 card, they might see something like a handbag for £45 and will put the additional £15 towards it. They’re usually using the card to treat themselves.
“The card is available to buy online but we were asked to be an in-person sales point. I said ‘absolutely’ because it brings more people to the shop. Older people in particular enjoy buying their card in person as they may not be as comfortable buying online. In the run-up to Christmas, we met new people we’d never seen before purely because they came to buy the card. We picked up add-on sales from people buying the card and then purchasing additional bits and pieces while they were here, so it really benefited us. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
Sophie Martin, BID Manager of Love Oxted, said: “La Maison Boutique is a much-loved local business, so it was the natural choice to be a sales point for the Love Oxted Gift Card. The response from residents so far has been fantastic, and there are many upcoming occasions for people to give the gift of local choice, such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. When you buy a card, that money is ring-fenced within our economy, helping the local businesses we love to stay open and helping our town thrive.”
Colin Munro, CEO of Miconex, added: “Town & City Gift Cards, like the Love Oxted Gift Card, are the ultimate ‘shop local’ gift card, providing customers and employers with an easy way to choose local. It’s fantastic to hear about the positive experience of La Maison Boutique as a sales point and participating business, both in bringing people through the door to buy the card, and to redeem it. Our cards drive traffic and spend to local businesses.”