More than $1 million has been spent in small towns, including Forbes, since the Why Leave Town (WLT) gift card program began.
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The WLT gift card program was established in Narrabri in 2010 and since then 14 towns in NSW and QLD have come on board the shop local campaign with a total of $1 million loaded onto the gift cards.
This is $1 million that is being kept local to participating towns within the program.
Of this, $142,582 has been loaded onto gift cards in Forbes since the program began here in October 2013.
Forbes Business Chamber’s Gabrielle Miller McMillan said it’s great to see the Forbes community getting behind the WLT program.
“It’s all about shopping locally and supporting Forbes - the most crucial element is that this money has to be spent local,” she said.
Most members of Forbes Business Chamber are involved in the WLT program, including a mix of retail stores, professional services and trades.
“If people are pressed for a gift, we’d encourage them to buy these; they can shop where they want,” Mrs McMillan said.
Mrs McMillan said the program has gained momentum in Forbes in the last 12-18 months with more businesses, charities and organisations offering the cards as prizes.
Forbes Business Chamber uses the cards as prizes for their annual Christmas promotion prize draws.
WLT Promotions Operations Manager, Ashley Watt said funds that are loaded to the gift cards can only be spent at participating stores in the individual towns – keeping money circulating locally rather than being spent in bigger, other or online centres.
“It’s an extremely effective tool to help prevent money ‘leaking’ out of local communities,” she said.
“The other great thing about using the WLT gift cards is that a lot of people will spend on average $29 more in a store at the time of the purchase than what is on their WLT gift card – generating even more local spending.
“This average spend is over and above the WLT gift card-generated $1million. This is an enormous coup to each of the individual economies involved our WLT gift card program.”
Mrs McMillan encourages the Forbes community to continue buying WLT gift cards and supporting local businesses.
“It’s up to shoppers to make sure they support it,” she said.
“By shopping and supporting local, you’re supporting yourself.
“Local business is at the forefront of keeping the dollar wheel going.”
For more information on the WLT Gift Card Program, you can go to www.whyleavetown.com.
