A NEW loyalty card providing special offers and discounts is hoped to boost business and encourage more shoppers to fall in love with their town centre.

The Make It Ealing card was launched at the weekend with more than 20 businesses taking part, including restaurants, beauty salons and a gym.

It is hoped more will join after seeing the benefits of the scheme which has been run on a trial basis for the past three months with five traders.

One of them, Raef Hamze, owner of Karaam Lebanese restaurant in Ealing Broadway, is delighted with the card which enables users to collect points when they spend money.

Customers receive a point for every pound spent with Mr Hamze offering treats from a free coffee for 50 points to full catering for 500 people for 10,000 points.

He said: “It’s very popular, people bring out their card even before they’ve paid their bill.

“There’s just one card for everything so people don’t have to carry around lots of different ones and we can get our messages out to people who register to let them know about deals and offers.

“There’s definitely been an increase in both spend and trade for us it’s been fantastic.”

The scheme is run by Ealing Broadway Business Improvement District which works on behalf and is funded by its 384 member businesses.

Chief executive Matthew McMillan said: “We’ve already had a remarkable response, by the end of week three of the trial we’d already distributed 1,000 cards.

“We’re making sure customers get the best and exclusive deals and informing them about events going on in the area.”

It is hoped the scheme can be expanded beyond the town centre if it continues to be successful.

The card will be officially launched at a healthy living street market in the Ealing Broadway shopping centre. Live demos of Zumba dancing and other activities, tasty food, advice from a nutritionist and health and beauty experts and free treatments will be among the highlights.