City of Tehachapi loyalty program brings nearly $60,000 to small businesses

$100 AT A LOCAL SMALLBUSINESS... GET A $20 GIFT CARDANOTHER.... THE MAIN GOAL OF IT,WAS TO PUSH PEOPLE TO SHOPLOCALLY, DURING THE PANDEMIC.TONIGHT WE'RE FINDING OUT, THESMALL BUSINESS LOYALTYPROGRAM IN TEHACHAPI WAS A MAJORSUCCESS ACCORDING TOTHE CITY.23ABCS KYLIE WALKER HAS BEENFOLLOWING THIS STORY ALL MONTHLONG ..

AND JOINS US LIVE ANDEXPLAINS HOW MUCH OF A BOOSTTEHACHAPI'S ECONOMY RECEIVEDKEY BUDGE WITH THE CITY OFTEHACHAPI SAYS THAT THIS IDEBEGAN AFTER SEEING A SIMILARPROGRAM ON THE CENTRAL COAST ..NEAR GROVER BEACH .

SO THEYDECIDED TO TRY IT OUT IN KERNCOUNTY .

WHICH BROUGHT IN NEARLY$60,000 TO THE CITY OFTEHACHAPI IN LESS THAN ONEMONTANYONE WHO SPENT A TOTAL OF 100DOLLARS AT ANY LOCALLYOWNED BUSINESS ..

COULD BRINGTHEIR RECEIPT TO CITY HALL ..

INEXCHANGE FOR A $20 GIFT CARD TOA LOCAL RESTAURANT .BUT SINCE IT WAS SUCH A HUGE HIT..

THE CITY STARTED EXPANDINGOTHER BUSINESSES AND INVESTED ATOTAL OF $3,000 INTOTHEIR LOYALTY PROGRAM,PURCHASING 150 GIFT CARDS FROMLOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES WITHINCITY LIMITS ..

BUT AS ITSTARTED TO GAIN TRACTION ..COMMUNITY MEMBERSSTARTED MAKING CASH AND GIFTCARD DONATIONS ..

ALLOWING THECITY TO PURCHASE AN ADDITIONAL55 GIFT CARDS...BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 223 GIFTCARDSCOREY COSTELLO ..

THE CITY'SECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTCOORDINATOR ..

SAYS HE COULDN'TBE HAPPIER WITH THE RESULTS..IT ENDED RIGHT AROUND THE TIMEOFTHE 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF USFIRST GETTING COVID RESTRICTIONSFORBUSINESS..

SO, TO REALLY HAVE IT12 MONTHS LATER BEING IN THEMIDDLE OF ASUCCESSFUL SORT OF STIMULUSRECOVERY PROGRAM ..

I'M VERYPROUD TO BE PART OTHAT AND FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BERALLYING BEHIND THIS."AND COMING UP TONIGHT AT 11, WEWILL FIND OUT WHAT THIS MEANSFOR THE CITY OF TEHACHAPI'SFUTURE ..

AND THE POSSIBILITY OFPROGRAM LIKE THIS MAKING ITS WAYTO THE BAKERSFIELD AREA ..FOR 23ABC KYLIE WALKERCONNECTING YOU ..COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE LETTERS W