Los Angeles County is giving consumers a way to get more bang for their buck this holiday season by offering extra cash with a new digital gift card to shop locally.
As part of a Shop Local. Dine Local. Recover Local campaign to help business owners recover from January’s firestorm, the county launched a new program Monday where customers can buy a $100, $50, or $20 digital gift card for a local small business and they’ll get an additional 50% bonus on the card while supplies last.
So far, 20 businesses including custom clothing vendors, beauty salons, restaurants and bookshops in L.A. County have enrolled in the program with more vendors to be added daily, according to the program website. It’s funded in part by a $100,000 contribution from L.A. Care, alongside a partnership with Yiftee and Southern California Grantmakers.
The bonus is a limited time offer in an effort to ramp up the economy for local businesses impacted by the fires, which devastated parts of northern L.A. County.
Among the businesses suffering was Enrico Busto’s store, Busto and Sun Custom Hats. He opened it in 2020 during the pandemic but said this year has been his hardest yet.
Busto signed up his shop for the program’s outreach potential, he said.
The Topanga Canyon community is strong but there have been multiple business closures over the last few years, he noted.
“Even one more [customer] would be a success,” he said.
Local businesses with less than 100 employees can apply to be featured and accept the digital gift cards if they have a brick-and-mortar store located within fire-impacted areas in Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Topanga, north Pasadena, Malibu and west Santa Monica.
“As we give thanks this holiday weekend, I encourage everyone to consider shopping locally, particularly in fire impacted areas like Altadena,” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a news release. “Our small businesses are the lifeline of the economy and provide needed jobs and services to our community.”
