Buy it for yourself, buy it as a gift, use it, reload it – no matter how you leverage St. Albert’s The Local Gift Card, you’ll be fielding fabulous finds while supporting local businesses. It’s hard to beat a deal like that this summer!
The card can be loaded and re-loaded from $5-$500. It’s convenient, it does not carry any interest and it does not expire. If the card is lost or stolen, the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce can stop access on the card and transfer the balance to a new one. Should you no longer need your card, return it to the Chamber and it will be recycled into functional items. The program supports local while also being eco-friendly, budget friendly, accessible, and sustainable.
Here’s how it works. Shoppers can buy the card at the St. Albert Visitor Welcome Centre or online from the main The Local Gift Card website. Take your pre-loaded card to any participating business in St. Albert. The card is registered to that business’ POS machine. It only works with participating businesses and you can visit each location for the duration of your card’s balance. Currently there are more than 10 vendors, from gift shops to home improvement to beauty and wellness. Registration for more vendors is open, so the list of where you can use the card will continue to grow.
Vendors can register in the program for free if they are Chamber members. If not, vendors can participate for a nominal fee.
Buying a St. Albert The Local Gift Card not only supports your local businesses, it also supports a female-owned Canadian small business.
The Local Gift Card is a program founded by Sarah Coffey, who grew up in Vancouver and settled in Kelowna in 2004. The idea for the program came from Coffey's experience of owning a small retail store and realizing that traditional gift cards did not bring new clients to her business. The Local Gift Card allows residents, businesses, municipalities, and out-of-town family members to support local businesses while still providing the gift of choice. The Local Gift Card supports the importance of buying local and offers a single gift card that opens up the gift card market to local vendors.
The City of St. Albert and St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce sponsor the The Local Gift Card. Shoppers can purchase the card in person or on The Local Gift Card’s website. If purchasing from The Local Gift Card site, simply press “gift cards” at the top of the screen, then scroll down until you see the link for St. Albert. Vendors looking to join the program can contact the Chamber for more information.
When you use the The Local Gift Card, you have a profound impact locally. For consumers, shopping local provides access to unique products and services, as well as the opportunity to build relationships with local businesses. It also helps support the local economy by keeping money within the community. For vendors, shopping local can help them increase their customer base and build brand loyalty. Additionally, it can help them save on costs associated with shipping products from other areas.
Shopping locally also helps reduce environmental impacts by reducing transportation costs associated with shipping goods from other areas. It can help reduce waste by providing access to locally produced items that are often made from recycled materials or are biodegradable.
Overall, shopping local in St. Albert has many benefits for both consumers and vendors alike! By supporting small businesses in your area, you’re helping create jobs and strengthen the local economy while also reducing environmental impacts and gaining access to unique products and services. The Local Gift Card can help you do all this – and more – so get your card today.
