Gift Card Initiative Throws Support To Park Slope Businesses
PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Ever since the coronavirus pandemic began in March, local businesses have struggled to figure out how to keep their doors open and how to continue to serve their customer base at a time when doing so has been anything but normal.
But as the holidays approach, the Park Slope Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District has partnered with 50 local retailers to help encourage residents not only to shop local, but to encourage others to do the same.
The organization has created a gift card program that allows residents to lend support to Park Slope restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores and other businesses. The gift card is good at any of the participating businesses and can be used continuously until the card’s balance has been exhausted.
Mark Caserta, executive director of the BID, said Friday that his organization originally thought of launching the program back in the spring. But with local business owners feeling overwhelmed at the start of the pandemic, the timing didn’t seem right. But now, months later and at a time when people are beginning their holiday shopping and perhaps in search of gift ideas, driving them toward local businesses that are trying to rebound from tough times seemed like a viable solution for both gift-givers and business owners alike.
After launching the initiative this week, Caserta only expects the number of participants to grow.
“A lot of people have written to us and asked how they can help and if they could set up a fund to help businesses or if we could set up a fund that would raise millions of dollars,” Caserta told Patch. “But what we really wanted to try to do was to increase the amount of business (local retailers) have really and help them get through this.”
The gift card’s website not only allows for the purchase of cards, but also includes a map displaying the names and locations of the participating businesses. As time goes on, Caserta expects that business owners who may be on the fence about participating will see the number of their fellow retailers that are taking part and will join in.
The gift cards are sent digitally and can either be printed out or displayed on mobile devices. Each card includes a code associated with the card, which provides the convenience of users not having to manage multiple gift cards, but instead allows for one card to be used at any number of retailers. Refunds can also be provided with money actually going back onto the gift card or to a credit card.
Caserta said so far, the community support has been overwhelmingly positive – both among business owners and those that anticipate being able to show support to business owners who are hoping to see an uptick in business over the holiday season and beyond.
“It’s really a way of really targeting and using your money to not only supporting local businesses, but encouraging others to shop local,” Caserta said. “It’s really about giving the small businesses the opportunity to make more money and to give the community the opportunity to support local businesses. That’s really what we wanted to do. We’re opening up the pathway for that to happen.”
This article originally appeared on the Park Slope Patch
