The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce is holding a shop-local program through December 16 called “Holding Our Own.” Its aim is to motivate residents of the peninsula to spend money locally in Soldotna to bolster the businesses that have been long-suffering through the COVID-19 pandemic.
For every $200 spent shopping in Soldotna, participants will receive two $50 vouchers to spend at local participating businesses by the end of the year. Utilizing funds from the City of Soldotna and CARES Act funding, $100,000 has been earmarked to bolster the program.
How can the proud people of Soldotna “Hold Their Own?” It’s easy: shop and spend $200 or more on discretionary items. Shanon Davis of the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce has details: “All you have to do if you’re a shopper is shop in Soldotna and save your receipts! Start saving them right now, and we’re accepting receipts all the way back to November 1. These receipts need to be for discretionary items. So, these would include things like clothing, furniture, tools, sporting goods, art, restaurant receipts, cafes, bars, distilleries, books, flowers – all of that stuff is considered discretionary and we will accept those receipts up to your total of $200. Non-discretionary purchases are things like groceries, fuel, utilities, mortgage – those types of expenditures will not count towards your $200.”
Once shoppers have, ideally, done each bit of holiday shopping in Soldotna, up to ten receipts totaling at least $200 can be submitted online, or dropped off at the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce. Before taking those receipts in, be sure they are dated, itemized, with the name of the business and full purchase total included. Taxes, delivery, and shipping fees do not count, so spend generously. After the receipts have been uploaded, shoppers will be able to choose two business to receive $50 shopping vouchers from and those will be mailed within two business days.
Local business owners wondering how to participate: Ms. Davis the plan covered: “You must be a business that has located within the city limits of Soldotna. You can’t be traded on the U.S. stock exchange and you can’t be a national chain. Other than that, pretty much, anything goes for businesses – as long as you’re in the city limits. So, you must’ve been negatively impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, you have to have a brick-and-mortar business, and you must have been in existence, in the state of Alaska, with a business license, since January 1 of 2020.”
To express your interest in participating, click here. Happy shopping, Soldotna!