A NEW loyalty card is being touted as a way to keep Rose City businesses thriving and keep shoppers coming back for more local bargains.

A similar project has been introduced in Goondiwindi to encourage residents to shop locally, ensure money stays within the community, provide additional exposure to local businesses, and to offer ease of shopping and discounts for customers.

The success of the card highlights that it might be suitable for Warwick, with Chamber of Commerce president David Littleproud calling for the scheme to be researched before it's introduced.

"Local businesses are the bricks, mortar and jobs of the local economy," Mr Littleproud said.

"We need to be socially responsible and support local business.

"We want something to highlight the features of local businesses and give us an edge against competition."

He said the card was definitely one of the options they needed to explore.

"It sounds like something that could promote existing businesses and possibly take things to the next level," Mr Littleproud said.

"Warwick is in competition with all nearby regional centres and we would need to be pragmatic about what is actually happening before the decisions were made."

Business owner Steve Oakland says without community support, local businesses like his Warwick Furniture Court will run out of puff.

"It's disappointing when people leave town to shop, when as locals we can beat or compete with anywhere else," Mr Oakland said.

"Local businesses give sponsorship to sports teams and fundraisers.

"Almost everything goes straight back by investing in the local community. Without support we just can't last."