Edmonton Downtown Business Association (EDBA) has launched a new Gift Card program to stimulate consumer spending and support businesses in the core.
The Edmonton Downtown Gift Card can be spent at multiple participating Downtown businesses, including restaurants, bars, arts and cultural venues, cafes, hotels, retail, spas and personal care services (non-medical), and health and fitness centres (non-medical).
“The Edmonton Downtown Gift Card is a way to make it as easy as possible for Edmontonians to shop locally and gift locally, and to stimulate and incentivize spending at our Downtown businesses. The past two years have created a more powerful ‘support local’ movement than we’ve ever seen before, in response to the immense hardships faced by our downtown small businesses. This Gift Card will provide Edmontonians with a fun and convenient way to do just that, and will aim to keep thousands of dollars of spending within our downtown ecosystem,” says Puneeta McBryan, Executive Director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association.
Puneeta adds: “Great for corporate gifting, contests, and gifting of all kinds, the Edmonton Downtown Gift Card can be used at multiple participating businesses rather than a single retailer, appealing to Edmontonians and visitors for the choice and flexibility it offers, while still being a powerful way to ‘support local’. We expect that demand for the Gift Card to grow as more partners come onboard and when gift-giving peaks during the holiday season.”
This launch comes after several months of researching and consulting with other Downtown business districts and destination marketing organizations across North America that have launched similar programs. In 2020, the Food Island Partnership, in conjunction with the provincial government of Prince Edward Island, launched Canada’s Food Island Gift Card, ringing in more $4 million in local purchases in its first year.
The Gift Card can be purchased online at edmontondowntown.com in $25, $50, $100 denominations up to $200 maximum in a single purchase. There is no cost to Downtown businesses to participate and accept the Gift Cards. Starting December 3, in-person purchases of the Gift Card can be made at TIX on the Square located at Churchill Square. The Edmonton Downtown Gift Card has no activation or usages fees and there is no expiration date.
“We’re excited to be a part of this new Gift Card program makes gift-giving and supporting Downtown businesses truly easy. We look forward to welcoming new customers from this program to our restaurants,” says Melissa Crudo, Operations Manager at Amore Group.
The technology for the Edmonton Downtown Gift Card is provided by fintech Miconex in association with international payments technology solutions provider EML Payments. Miconex operates its Downtown Gift Card concept in Canada and the US, and over 100 Town & City Gift Card programs in the UK and Ireland.
The Edmonton Downtown Gift Card is issued by Peoples Trust Company. Card funds are not insured by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) or any other government deposit insurer or agency. Funds do not expire, non-reloadable and no cash access. For Cardholder Agreement or Customer Service: www.getmybalance.com or 1-833-558-1108.