Green Shield Stamps could be traded in for ‘free’ gifts so why did consumers abandon them?

Sean Farrington examines their rise and fall and discovers how they spawned a famous retail chain which is still trading. The stamps were the centrepiece of an early form of loyalty scheme and were collected by tens of millions of people across the UK. They were given out by shops with every purchase and could be exchanged for a wide range of household goods and luxury items from handbags to vacuum cleaners and even cars.

The BBC Business journalist, Sean Farrington, speaks to expert guests including:

Sir John Timpson – chairman of the retail services provider, Timpson, who dedicated a chapter of his book on ‘High Street Heroes’ to the Green Shield Stamp founder, Richard Tompkins.

Professor Leigh Sparks – Professor of Retail Studies at the University of Stirling.

Alongside them, analysing the stamps’ fortunes is the entrepreneur, Sam White.

Toast is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. It is available on BBCSounds from 25th April for a year.

This episode was produced by Jon Douglas. You can email the programme at toast@bbc.co.uk