Downtown Moncton Offers Discounted Gift Cards to Boost City Centre Spending
MONCTON – Last summer, Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc. (DMCI) launched gift cards that customers can use at any participating business in the downtown area. When DMCI put out $15,000 worth of cards at 20 per cent off, they sold out in an hour and a half. The discount will be offered again for a limited time May 1.
The gift card program aims to help promote businesses and retailers in Moncton’s downtown, encourage spending in the area and keep the money there. Consumers can buy gift cards worth between $20 and $500. They can also use the cards at parking meters.
Executive Director Anne Poirier Basque said more businesses are taking part in the gift card program compared to the previous Advantage Card program, which allowed merchants to offer various discounts.
“It was getting to a point where some retailers didn’t want to participate [in the Advantage program]. They didn’t know what to offer and it was more of a hassle,” she said. “But this program, all we have to do is swipe the card, activate their point of sale machine and we’re ready to go. So they don’t have to come [to DMCI’s office] to be reimbursed. They just put it through like a MasterCard.”
Around 75 businesses located in the Business Improvement Area accept the gift cards so far. There are 1,000 businesses in that area, which covers King Street to Vaughan Harvey Boulevard, and from St. George Street to the Petitcodiac River.
DMCI aims to have 200 businesses participate in the program by the end of the year. It plans to increase its contribution to the program from $30,000 to $40,000.
My Home Apparel is one of the participating businesses. Miriah Kearney, the owner of the Nova Scotia-based company, signed up when she opened the Moncton store in November to take advantage of holiday spending. Her customers spent $600 on the gift cards during Christmas time, she said.
“A lot of towns do use some type of its own currency like downtown dollars. But Moncton is smart because they use the cards,” she said. “They’re easy to use, and they’re hooked into any system, and they’re instantly redeemed. So you don’t have to go to the office to exchange your downtown dollars, which takes time and organization.”
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The cards are only valid downtown and customers can’t get change in physical currency.
“[The cards] ensure that the money stays in downtown Moncton, which I think is the smartest part,” Kearney said.
Delta Beausejour Hotel also takes part in the program. Patricia DesBrisay, manager of public relations and administration, said the card will be an incentive for people to discover downtown businesses.
It brings people downtown, makes people shop downtown, eat downtown, spend their leisure time and leisure cash in the downtown area. We think it’s a great idea,” she said.
Since July last year, DMCI has sold $37,560 worth of gift cards. Consumers mainly use the cards at restaurants, cafes, and retailers.
The cards are available year-round at the face value price with no tax through DMCI’s office. But the organization plans to sell them at 20 per cent off the retail price twice a year. The next sale will be on May 1 and another one is planned for before Christmas.
“It’s Downtown Moncton who absorbs the cost. And aside from that, if there’s any sales downtown, [consumers] can take advantage of that as well,” Basque said.