A ‘Shop Eat Love Motueka’ promotion is encouraging locals to shop locally, and potentially be rewarded for their loyalty.
People are asked to drop their receipts of $20 or more into one of four nominated businesses to have a chance to win one of three monthly prizes of $200, valid at any participating Motueka store.
The project is coordinated through local business promotion group Our Town Motueka, and coordinator Claire Hutt says that it was well received by local businesses.
“It could be a restaurant, a retailer,” she says - in short, a receipt of $20 or more from any Motueka business would gain an entry.
It is a three-fold win, she reckons - it encourages people to support local businesses, it rewards customers, and the prize money, which will be in the form of Our Town Motueka vouchers, will also be spent locally.
The Guardian ran an article in December about the fact that many Motueka businesses were finding times tough, and Claire says that not a lot has changed.
“Retail’s really suffering,” she says.
She asks the community to “do as much as we can to support them and make them feel that they’re not alone. Again, it’s that same message - try here first”.
The promotion can be entered by dropping receipts into Ormolu, Whitwell’s Menswear, Health 2000 or Stirling Sports. Participants have one entry per receipt, and winners will be drawn at the end of the month.
