Newry BID Manager Discusses How Local Businesses Have Thrived From The Introduction Of Péarlaí’s Award Winning Technology

Newry BID launched the Newry VIP initiative using Péarlaí’s technology in August 2019.  Over the past 18 months over 12000 local shoppers have registered for a fob and almost 70 local retailers have come on board offering their most loyal shoppers deserved loyalty rewards.

The Newry VIP campaign hasn’t only gained plaudits from local shoppers and businesses, but it’s also helped Newry BID secure two notable awards in the past 12 months. This week we managed to catch up with Newry BID Manager, Eamon Connolly, to get a bit of feedback on his experience with Péarlaí so far.

When you first considered using retail technology, what problems were you looking to solve?

As a BID organisation, we are responsible for ensuring our businesses receive a return of investment for every penny we spend. We needed a solution that increased footfall and sales into our retail business while providing evidence. We were also looking for ways to increase engagement and ideally with metrics. Finally, we wanted to be innovative and encourage High Street businesses to develop their digital presence.

What made you choose Péarlaí?

I had heard of the great work they were doing with one of our shopping centres here in Newry (Buttercrane), and it complimented the existing solution giving our local shoppers added benefits and our retailers access to an already growing userbase locally and beyond.

What have been the greatest benefits from using Péarlaí’s platform?

Having access to data that enabled us to prove to our BID members that by simply updating one SMS a week does actually increase footfall in to their stores was invaluable.

Has Péarlaí helped you reach your goals?

Yes, it certainly has. Newry BID is actively involved in many initiatives to help our members thrive, and Péarlaí play a big part in these. So much so that the Péarlaí initiative gained special mentions when Newry BID won two nationally recognised awards, the first was the Northern Ireland Rising star award from the Great British High Street Awards and then we were the winners of the City Award from the Bank of Irelands Begin Together Awards.

What has it been like to work with Péarlaí, and would you recommend the platform to others?

I have worked closely with Péarlaí from the beginning, and their understanding of what we want to achieve has always been impressive. I have worked with them to develop new features that benefit our members and are due to be rolled out in 2021.  Most importantly, they always value feedback when provided. I would recommend any town or city management groups to work with Péarlaí as the results speak for themselves.