Downtown bonus gift cards sell out
But there could be round 2 as group looks for potential sponsors.
A gift card program benefiting downtown Dayton businesses was so successful that it sold out within about six hours.
The Downtown Dayton Partnership is looking for potential sponsors for another round of the program that it hopes will be just as popular.
“This was a clear demonstration that our community wants to help our locally owned businesses — our small downtown businesses,” said Sandy Gudorf, president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership.
Last Thursday, the Downtown Dayton Partnership launched an online gift card program intended to help boost sales at local businesses during this difficult health and economic crisis.
Consumers who purchased a $25 gift card to one of more than 60 downtown businesses of their choice through the program will get a $15 bonus gift card to a “surprise” business.
The partnership had 1,000 bonus gift cards to distribute, and it shut down online sales once 1,000 gift cards were purchased. The partnership provided $15,000 to buy the bonus gift cards.
“With the customers’ $25 gift cards and our contribution, within six hours, we put $40,000 in the hands of our businesses,” she said.
The idea behind the Downtown Dayton Gift Card Bonus Buy program is to get people to try out new businesses they may have never visited or patronized
before, Gudorf said.
“It’s an opportunity to go out and explore downtown when you are comfortable to do so,” she said.
Gift cards will be mailed to buyers in coming weeks.
The partnership would like to do another round of the program soon, and it is looking for donations or funding from sponsors, Gudorf said, adding that the partnership may provide additional support.
Also, some people who bought gift cards on Thursday donated money that could help with another round.
“I just really want to thank the community for their response,” Gudorf said. “It’s a clear indication that they value our small businesses and they wanted to support them.”
Downtown is a thriving destination because of its bars, restaurants, retailers, coffee shops, salons, arts and entertainment venues and other shops, Gudorf said.
But businesses are hurting right now, and the partnership has tried to provide some relief through the REOPEN Downtown Dayton grant program and by offering small businesses “wrap-around services,” Gudorf said.
The last two months have been really hard on Dayton’s small businesses, and other communities have used bonus buy programs to try to drum up activities and sales, said Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.