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星期五, 4月 16, 2021

波士頓市長Kim Janey推出" B-Local"應用程式支持地方企業

(Boston Orange) 波士頓代市長Kim Janey416日正式推出B-Local這獎勵人們要買東西,向本地商家買的計畫,期以支持地方商家從困難中恢復。

民眾向參加這計畫的數以百計波士頓本地商家購物時,可藉由已綁定個人信用卡或付款卡,預付卡的B-Local手機應用程式,自動獲得,並累積獎勵,用作現金折扣。所有的獎勵金額,都將由波士頓市政府償還,企業及民眾使用這軟體不須花錢。

B-Local應用程式由Colu 科技公司研發,波士頓市政府希望藉此促使本地消費回歸社區,而不是流向電子商務巨頭,或是大零售商。在俄亥俄州(Ohio)AkronColu研發的”Akronite”應用程式,最近在6個月間吸引了170家地方企業,4000名用戶,為當地企業贏得20萬元銷售額。波士頓將是美國首個推出這項目的大城市。

B-Local這計畫的做法是:

使用者先從谷歌應用商店,或是蘋果商店下載免費的B-Local軟體,然後把信用卡,付款卡,或預付卡安全帳戶和B-Local軟體連接。首3000名下在這軟體者,將會獲得獎勵。

加入獎勵提供者,然後開始在本地購物、用餐,使用已和B-Local連接的信用卡等做符合資格的消費,就可自動賺取波士頓點數。

在本地商家購物時,波士頓點數可折抵現金。每一點波士頓點數等於一美元。

鼓勵你喜歡的商家參加B-Local計畫。

            迄今已有269家本地商家參加了B-Local計畫。波士頓市長的經濟發展辦公室小企業組也在積極和企業聯繫,以期參加活動的企業商家有更公平的代表性。在目前已參加的商家中,有185家少數族裔及移民所擁有的企業,143家婦女經營,53家主街企業,46家黑人擁有的企業。

MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES “B-LOCAL” APP TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES

Pilot program to support the economic recovery of our neighborhood commercial districts

BOSTON - Friday, April 16, 2021 - Mayor Janey announced today that the City of Boston is launching B-Local, a points-based program that offers rewards for shopping locally. The goal is to support local business recovery by incentivizing Bostonians to spend locally. By using the simple B-Local mobile app, shoppers earn rewards automatically at hundreds of participating local businesses across the City of Boston when they make purchases with registered credit, debit, or prepaid debit cards linked to their B-Local account. These rewards may then be applied as cash discounts to a growing list of redeeming businesses. All rewards are reimbursed by the City of Boston and there is no cost to users or businesses.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and they need our help to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This dynamic program is a proven and powerful economic tool. By creatively leveraging federal CARES Act funding, the City of Boston can support local business owners, reward local shoppers, and drive a stronger recovery,” said Mayor Janey. “With warmer weather upon us, Bostonians are eager to reconnect with one another. This Patriot’s Day weekend, I urge my fellow Bostontians to exercise their city pride through our collective purchasing power to support local businesses as they recover from the pandemic. By supporting your favorite local businesses and exploring new establishments across our city, you can make a real difference.”

Through this innovative program developed in partnership with Colu Technologies, the City of Boston can drive local spending back into our community, instead of e-commerce giants and big-box retailers. This will provide critical support to local businesses as they recover and our city reopens, while also promoting diversity and equity. In Akron, Ohio, Colu’s “Akronite” app recently generated over $200,000 in local business sales, harnessing more than 4,000 users and 170 local businesses in a six-month period. Money spent locally stayed in their community and boosted the economy by a factor of nine. Boston is the first major U.S. city to launch this program.

“As an innovation hub, Boston is proud to leverage a creative program with a proven record of bringing city residents and small businesses together to drive our local economic recovery,” said Midori Morikawa, Interim Chief of Economic Development. “Boston is committed to an equitable recovery of our small and local businesses. B-Local will highlight the stories and experiences of our business owners to connect with residents, particularly those owned by women, immigrants, and people of color who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Business owners have demonstrated tremendous resilience throughout the pandemic and with B-Local, we as residents can make a real impact to help as they reopen and recover.”

How It Works:

1.  Download the free B-Local app from Google Play or the Apple Store and securely link your credit cards, debit cards, or prepaid debit cards to your account. The first 3,000 users to download and link a card will receive a bonus!

2.  Join reward offers and start shopping and dining locally, earning Boston Points automatically through qualifying purchases made with your linked cards at local businesses.

3.  Redeem Boston Points for cash discounts at redeeming local businesses. Each Boston Point is worth one dollar.

4.  Encourage your favorite businesses to join B-Local by signing up on boston.gov/B-Local.

Users can learn more at Colu.com/b-local. Shoppers in the City of Boston are encouraged to review the latest public health guidance at Boston.gov/covid-19 and learn about Boston’s reopening efforts and public health guidelines for businesses at Boston.gov/reopening.

To date, 269 businesses have signed up to participate on B-Local. Outreach to businesses, led by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development Small Business Unit, has ensured an equitable representation of business owners, as well as even distribution across neighborhoods:

·    185 Minority and Immigrant-Owned Businesses

·    143 Woman-Owned Businesses

·    53 Main Streets Businesses

·    46 Black-Owned Businesses

Shoppers may earn rewards at restaurants, retail stores, cafés, gyms and yoga studios, salons, and more. Shoppers may then redeem their Boston Points as discounts toward future purchases. Any Boston-based businesses with a storefront or that engages with customers directly may apply as either a “participating” or “redeeming” business at Boston.gov/B-Local. All reward discounts using Boston Points will be reimbursed to businesses by the City of Boston on a biweekly basis. All costs for this pilot program and reimbursements are funded by the federal CARES Act.

The B-Local program is open to all Boston businesses, but it will also allow the City of Boston to stand by its values of equity and inclusion; supporting minority- and women-owned businesses and industries disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and other systemic barriers. By sharing the important stories that connect our community and local businesses, B-Local will highlight Boston’s vibrant and diverse businesses and celebrate the 20 Boston Main Streets neighborhood commercial districts. 

“B-local is such a unique and fun program for both businesses and patrons,” said Tiffani Faison, renowned chef and owner of Big Heart Hospitality, which includes Sweet Cheeks Q, Tiger Mama, Fool's Errand, and Orfano restaurants. “It aids in financial recovery and allows an opportunity for us all to reconnect and have each other's backs. It allows Bostonians a fresh perspective on which businesses are uniquely local and how, together, we contribute to the rebirth of the Boston we know, love and miss so dearly.”

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