AMESBURY — The holiday shopping season may be months away, but the Chamber of Commerce is already stocked with the perfect holiday gift.
Local gift cards are now available, and with more retailers joining in every day, chamber director Stefanie McCowan says there has never been a better time to shop downtown.
"We really wanted to roll this out and get ready before the holiday season," said McCowan. "We are really hoping this takes off like crazy."
The newly revamped Chamber of Commerce gift card program is already getting lots of feedback and participation, going from just a few retailers participating to more than 20 practically over night, she said.
"It's going very well," McCowan said. "We are seeing the cards redeemed at Flatbread Pizza, Ristorante Molise and Parke Place."
A patron with an Amesbury gift card will be able to use it in lieu of cash at various shops in town, much like a mall gift certificate works.
The Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank raffled off two gift cards at its community open house celebrating its grand opening in downtown Amesbury earlier this summer and has already bought $20,000 worth of the cards. The bank is also giving gift cards to customers who meet eligibility requirements for refinancing or who qualify for a mortgage.
"Newburyport Five Cents really showed their faith in Amesbury by purchasing the cards," McCowan said. "For a lot of people who got them from the bank, they live and work here but have never gone into all the stores and restaurants."
Residents who refinance or take out a mortgage for up to $200,000 get a $250 gift card while those who mortgage more than that price get a card worth $500.
"Five hundred dollars is a huge incentive to go into the shops and restaurants," McCowan said.
The Amesbury gift card program was first started in 2004 by the-then Alliance for Amesbury. After becoming a Chamber of Commerce with new officials at the helm, the organization took another look at the program last spring in order to update and expand on it.
The former gift card came only in one amount — $25 — and merchants could only redeem it by bringing it to the chamber office after a purchase was made.
The new card operates like a credit card — with one easy swipe — and can be programmed with any amount up to $1,000. The newest change to the card came in the last few weeks when McCowan made sure tips can now be included and taken off the gift card.
"You can go out to dinner and put the whole bill on the card," McCowan said, noting the cards make good gifts for teacher appreciation as well as the usual occasions.
McCowan said the chamber will begin advertising the program more in the upcoming weeks, especially leading up to the holidays.
"This is all about bringing more business downtown Amesbury," McCowan said. "It's clearly working."
