We are excited to launch ShopOTT2Win again for the upcoming holiday season, starting next Monday! See below for details on how to use it to drive sales for yourself, plus these three other topics:
1) Where To Support Local This November
2) Pumpkin Parade Pictures
3) Reminder: Sign up for the Annual General Meeting
Through our Members Newsletter and website, we aim to provide timely info from appropriate, expert sources. You are encouraged to do further research
Every Tuesday for six weeks one lucky shopper will win $1,000 for shopping locally: $500 to keep and $500 to share with a local business – that could be your business!
This contest is a powerful and proven tool that gets the surrounding community to shop more often and spend more at local businesses.
1. As a member of the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood BIA/Old Town Toronto, you are automatically included in this promotion without needing to do anything at all. However, there is a lot you CAN do to help ensure its success and boost your sales - see #5 below.
2. In order to enter the promotion, customers simply upload receipts for any purchase of $25 or more (including taxes but not delivery fees or tips) on the contest website - check it out for yourself at www.ShopOTT2win.com. These receipts can be from any member business in the BIA.
3. One winner will be chosen for the grand prize from among all those who entered the contest a minimum of 3 out of the 6 weeks.
4. Multiple receipts may be uploaded daily. However: a. Only one entry per business DAILY will be counted as a ballot. People can enter an unlimited number of times daily as long as the receipts are for different businesses. b. Business owners (and their staff) are able to participate by shopping at other retailers but cannot win with a purchase at their own establishment.
5. Here’s how you can get the most from this contest: a.Display marketing collateral prominently (BIA staffers will be delivering this to street front businesses early November.) b.Talk to your customers about it – thank them for their loyalty and patronage with this chance to win $500 weekly. It builds goodwill for your business every time they enter! c.Promote the contest with a “Shop2Win special” or a package of $25 or more if your customers don’t naturally tend to spend that much. And train your staff to upsell customers when they are close but not quite at $25. If you do create a $25 contest special offer, please let your BIA know so that it can be featured on social media! d.Remind clients by adding info about the contest to your POS system and/or your digital email signature for all correspondence until December 19. e.Tag the BIA in all of your social posts and remind people about it often and use the hashtag #ShopOTT Win f.Get Social - follow the BIA on social and Like, Comment and Share as much as possible to bump these posts so that they are seen by more people around Old Town Toronto
Thank you to the BIA members who submitted to our November edition of Where To Support Local. Each selected one item or service that they offer and wrote a blurb about it for this newsletter.
From a mouth watering homemade lasagna to an easy at home pilates exercise (with custom video no less) you can do to relieve back pain, we covered it all! Shout out to The Chesterfield Shop who instead of featuring a product, featured an employee. It was a great way to make the post more personal and learn about someone who works in the neighbourhood.
Take a look now at Where To Support Local This November and start thinking about what item/special event or service you want to share next month. (These do not have to be on sale! Full price items/services are perfect for this newsletter and our social media team loves finding ways to promote the newsletter and its content over the month.)
It may have been a spooky, rainy, and cold night, but that didn't stop the Old Town Toronto Pumpkin Parade on Friday October 29th. With 4 schools participating and over 120 pumpkins delivered by the BIA for carving by area students, the night was a success. Events like these are your BIA's way of giving back to the community, on your behalf. Thanks for being a member!
Our Annual General Meeting will be held Wednesday November 10th, 2-4pm via Zoom. Business owners/operators and commercial property owners within our boundaries are invited to attend. If you plan to attend, but have not already, be sure to RSVP by pre-registering at www.oldtowntoronto.ca/agmin order to receive the meeting link and important documents.
What is a Business Improvement Area? A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is made up of commercial and industrial property owners and their non-residential tenants who join together under a volunteer Board of Management (BIA Board) to carry out improvements and promote economic development within their designated area.
There are currently 83 BIAs in the City of Toronto. They work in partnership with the City to enhance and promote business areas as safe, vibrant places to do business, unique destinations for tourists and focal points for neighbourhood activity...(click learn more to continue reading.)
Am I a member? Every business and commercial property owner within the boundaries of The St. Lawrence Market Business Improvement Area (BIA), also known at Old Town Toronto, are automatically members of our not-for-profit organization.
Looking for something from a past issue? You can find each individual past newsletter by clicking here or much of the same content is shared on our Information & Resources page.
