Shoppers will be able to buy a night out at the theatre alongside their groceries after Theatre Tokens unveiled a new retail partnership with supermarket giant Tesco to sell national theatre gift vouchers in their stores - opening up a new potential theatre audience.
Established in 1984 Theatre Tokens are the nationwide gift card scheme for the UK Theatre Industry. The scheme run by the industry for the industry acts as an audience development initiative and continues its mission to attract new audiences to our 250 participating theatres.
The UK Gift Card & Voucher Association (UKGCVA), the trade body for the industry, estimates an annual spend of £6bn a year on Gift Vouchers in the UK. We want more of this spent on Theatre Tokens, more theatre tickets bought, and more new audiences that our member theatres can attract.
Over 350,000 tickets are purchased each year with Theatre Tokens and they aim to increase that year on year, opening up the magic of live theatre to new audiences who may not otherwise experience it.
To help achieve that goal Theatre Tokens have entered a new retail partnership with Tesco, who are now selling Theatre Tokens in 791 of their stores across the UK. People who previously might not have thought of Giving the Gift Of Theatre, will now be picking up Theatre Tokens at the till with their weekly shop or luncthime meal deal.
Theatre Tokens started life as paper gift vouchers - which can still be bought in high street partners such as WH Smiths and Waterstones. People can now buy multi-use Gift Cards directly from Theatre Tokens and from theatres that participate in the scheme, and as of 2017 eGifts that can be scanned directly from your phone.
Theatres accept Theatre Tokens in person and over the phone, and during 2019 they are starting to roll out online redemption. See it in action at www.officiallondontheatre.com.
To find out more about Theatre Tokens' partnership with Tesco, which Tesco stores close to you are stocking Theatre Tokens, or about online redemption contact Jamie.
Date Published: 22 July 2019
