Hatfield’s Galleria shopping centre is helping its tenants communicate with as many as 1,700 local workers through a successful new marketing initiative.

The de Havilland scheme, which was launched on November 28, bust its initial target of 500 members before Christmas, and has now passed 2,000.

Retail liaison manager Marnie Williams told the Welwyn Hatfield Times: “The retailers are really happy with it. Five who were not initially involved have asked to come on board because people were presenting the card and asking to use it.”

Rather than pitching to residents, the Galleria’s scheme, which offers discounts of between 10 and 25 per cent in about 50 shops, cafes and restaurants, targets the thousands of people employed on the neighbouring Hatfield Business Park.

The shopping centre’s marketing department has enlisted the help of 15 major employers, including Computacenter, Affinity Water, Hatfield Police Station, Ocado, the David Lloyd Leisure gym, and the Ramada Jarvis Comet Hotel.

The “boarding card” has an aeronautical theme in line with the business park’s industrial heritage.

Miss Williams continued: “It is still early days, but it is a good start. I would like to encourage the businesses to communicate between themselves better, and we want to get them together with regular events.”

Each employer distributes a monthly email, containing discounts and offers to tempt workers into the shopping mall.

Several, including the police, have extended the communication network to Hertfordshire locations outside Hatfield.

Anyone working on the business park can sign up at www.thegalleria.co.uk/de havilland