The Newark Gift Card officially launched for Small Business Saturday. The gift card is a community-wide digital gift card program designed to promote local spending this holiday season.
“Our local businesses deserve our support now more than ever,” said Tamara Remedios, lead for the Newark Gift Card. “This program is a no-brainer. It costs the merchant nothing to participate and there are no fees to the consumer during the holiday season thanks to the generous support of Prudential Financial.”
Through Prudential’s sponsorship, consumers who buy gift cards will receive bonus gift cards at specific purchasing levels. The bonus gift cards will not immediately show up in a purchaser’s cart, but they will be emailed within 24 hours of the purchase. The bonus cards are available for a limited time and to spur holiday sales the bonus dollars (only) expire January 30, 2022.
- Purchase a $25 gift card or more, receive an additional $10 gift card.
- Purchase a $50 gift card or more, receive an additional $20 gift card.
- Purchase a $100 gift card or more, receive an additional $40 gift card.
The Newark Gift Card operates on a digital platform, which means there is no traditional plastic card. Recipients receive an email or text message with the gift card information or it can be printed out. Gift cards can be redeemed at 75+ participating businesses through out the city of Newark. Participating merchants or restaurants then process the card over their credit card network like they would with a phone order.
Participating in this program means supporting the heart of what makes the Newark community unique. A study published by Civic Economics points out that local independent retails recirculate 47 percent of their revenue back into the community, while only 14% of national chains’ revenue stays in the community. More dramatically, restaurants recirculate 73 percent of their revenue back into the community, versus only 30 percent for national chains. Consumers budget 35 percent of their holiday spending towards the purchase of gift cards.
“The Newark business community has always united to support each other through adversity. This effort is no different. We are so happy to launch this initiative as part of the effort by the City and our corporate partners as our small business community continues to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic,” said De’Shawn Wright, Interim CEO of the Newark Alliance.
“The Newark Gift Card will inspire people to explore a variety of businesses throughout Newark while keeping their money local, be it a new restaurant, a beautiful boutique, the neighborhood nail salon, or even getting your favorite dog pampered. It’s a great gift option for teacher appreciation, housewarming gifts, open houses, new employees, and more!” said Remedios of Xplore Communications.
Digital gift cards may be purchased at www.thenewarkgiftcard.com
