The BIG Impact of Shopping SMALL In Our Community
By: Josh Cross, CEO & President of the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce
How do you create a program that celebrates supporting local business that lasts longer than a one-day event? Just this past summer, the Atascadero Chamber team put this question to the test. We partnered with businesses in our community to launch the Shop Local Bonus program. The goal was simple: to help support our #Atascamazing community during a challenging time and reward those who chose to shop at local, small businesses over a long duration of time. I plan to continue to work with local organizations to build on programs like these to create a robust culture that encourages, celebrates, and rewards supporting OUR local businesses. Once the Shop Local Bonus program concluded, the team and I were blown away by the results! I’ll share the outcome in a moment, but first, here’s a quick recap if you’re unfamiliar with the Shop Local Bonus program.
Our Shop Local Bonus program took place from June to the end of August. During that time, 26 local businesses partnered with us. We were thrilled at the excitement from our business community for this new initiative. This program rewarded customers that spent $100 at participating businesses and submitted their receipts with a $20 gift card to a participating business of their choice. This was a big hit, as indicated by social media posts and the positive feedback we received from shoppers!
Don’t just take our word for it; here are some statistics that support the impact of this new initiative. The Shop Local Bonus program generated approximately $18,000 into our local economy (which is a much needed boost). For every $20 gift card awarded, the average spend was $209. Also, while not calculated, the possibility of shoppers spending more than just the $20 gift card upon return is highly likely, thereby increasing the total impact even further.
The success of the Shop Local Bonus program demonstrates how beneficial it is when we all come and work together to foster a culture of supporting local businesses. I’m working with my team now to find opportunities to build on the success of this program to continue to help serve and support our business community. We’re also planning to launch a similar program in early 2022. If you would like to be a part of this economic recovery program and contribute by sponsoring a business or two, please email me at Josh@AtascaderoChamber.org. Together, I know that we can continue to do great things in our #Atascamazing community!
-Josh Cross, Atascadero Chamber CEO
President & CEO of the Atascadero Chamber | Josh Cross
