The Hafnarfjörður Card is Gaining Momentum.

“This is only the beginning,” says Þóra Hrund Guðbrandsdóttir, managing director of Markaðsstofa Hafnarfjarðar, about the first month of the Hafnarfjörður Card, which is a gift and prepaid card valid in sixty Hafnarfjörður businesses.

“We can see that purchases have been made in every single company that joined before the New Year,” says Þóra Hrund, describing how the card is used.

With the key to Hafnarfjörður in your pocket

“People have the card in their wallet in their phone. It is not only a gift certificate but also a payment solution,” she says, encouraging all residents of Hafnarfjörður to have the Hafnarfjörður Card. “We are taking the first steps and developing the card in a way that will offer various benefits available only with the Hafnarfjörður Card,” says Þóra Hrund.

Valdimar Víðisson, the mayor, says the Hafnarfjörður Card is an excellent tool to support local shops and services in the town. “It is a simple way for all of us to support our own businesses and keep value here at home in Hafnarfjörður.”

Þóra Hrund says that, at the beginning, the focus was on bringing in as many partners as possible. “I set myself the goal of getting 50 companies on board before Christmas, and we reached 60. The number continues to grow, as the card is excellent for the businesses here in town. There are millions in the pot, so it is a great opportunity for companies to join and offer good deals.”

Groceries the most popular, but specialty goods also strong

Þóra Hrund says it is very important that groceries can be purchased with the card. “The top companies before Christmas sold groceries, but then specialty goods also came in strong. Lindex and Gina in Hafnarfjörður, for example, each had over 200 transactions before Christmas. I calculated that in the first three weeks we were live, 56.4% went to groceries and 43.6% to specialty goods. It will be interesting to see how sales develop now that the holidays are over,” she says.

Þóra Hrund Guðbrandsdóttir, managing director of the Marketing Office of Hafnarfjörður, is the driving force behind the Hafnarfjörður Card. Photo/Óli Már