The holiday season is an important time of the year for all of us, but especially for our hard-working local businesses. As we enter our second lockdown, this time during the run-up to Christmas, the Marda Loop BIA would like to remind everyone how they can support the small businesses facing closures and limitations.
- What GOOD picking-up vs using delivery services does for our hardworking restaurateurs and businesses.
We get it, it can be easier to order through delivery services, but when you take a nice little drive or stroll to your favourite haunt to pick-up breakfast, lunch or dinner, it saves that business a hefty cut – up to 30% – that they normally pay to delivery service apps and puts that much-needed revenue back into their pockets.
In short, when you pick up your meal, you pick up a business!
Almost all of Marda Loop’s food and drink businesses are open for pick-up or delivery. Here’s how you can support them:
- Before you touch that delivery app, call the business directly and arrange for pick up or, check out what options they have for delivery.
- Worried about sanitization? Pick-up options are only touched by restaurant staff, rather than going into a delivery car and being handled by an additional party.
- Come down to main street before you go to the mall. Our retail shops are OPEN. The hustle and bustle of box box stores and malls are arguably less safe than visiting your local small business friends. If you do not feel comfortable shopping in-person, or you dislike outside line-ups, lots of Marda Loop retailers offer private appointments (masked up, of course) and online shopping.
- Keep moving with online fitness classes! Many fitness outlets are now offering discounted classes online that you can do in your own home! Keep your favourite fitness studios and staff employed by keeping your subscription and sweat it out solo at home or outside and be sure to check-in and see what’s being live streamed! Come on everybody – it’s a lock-down not a sit-down!
- Not sure how to support your favourite aesthetics business? Lots of salons and beauty service providers are selling items for at-home DIY hair colouring and more and some may even be selling product online for the holiday season (think stocking stuffers), either way, check in with your usual spots to see how you can help. Maybe get a gift certificate that you can use later on!
Additional ways to support small business this season:
- Comment, like and share posts from their social media.
- Give them a glowing review on Google or Facebook.
- Spread the word to your network about businesses you love.
- If you’re buying takeout or a gift, consider buying a second gift or a meal for someone who cannot afford to support local this year and double the love!
From the bottom of our hearts, Marda Loop loves you, Calgary.
Let’s make sure that the business we love in 2020 are still around for us in 2021.
