The City of Murrieta is proud to implement an exciting shop local small business incentive program to support the Murrieta community and help local businesses overcome some of the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is expected to launch in the summer of 2022 and is slated to last until the end of 2026.
Approved by the Murrieta City Council at the March 15,2022 meeting, the program allocates $1 million from the City’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to support residents and businesses alike. Through this program, the City will offer a digital gift card that makes it fun and easy to keep local spending local. A key element of the campaign is the City provided bonus gift cards given to shoppers when they purchase eGift cards through the program. For example, someone can purchase a $50 card and get a $50 bonus gift card funded by the City. The City’s Economic Development team is planning to run unique promotions throughout the life of the program to incentivize participation. Special promotions could include restaurant week, Small Business Saturday, and various holiday campaigns throughout the year. The City is implementing this program through Yiftee, Inc., which offers award-winning eGift card and promotion solutions for local businesses and communities.
The City of Murrieta is planning a comprehensive outreach campaign to educate businesses about this opportunity and promote it to residents and shoppers. “We encourage all Murrieta businesses to take advantage of this great program and take part in the various promotions the City will launch throughout the course of the program,” said Scott Agajanian, Deputy Director of Economic Development at the City of Murrieta.
Participating in the shop local incentive program means supporting the heart of what makes our community unique. The purchase of a Murrieta eGift card creates a pool of cash that local businesses in Murrieta can rely on. Studies1 have shown that local independent retailers recirculate 47% of their revenue back into the community, while only 14% of national chains’ revenue stays in the community. More dramatically, local restaurants recirculate 73% of their revenue back into the community, versus 30% for national chains.
For more information about this program, contact Scott Agajanian at SAgajanian@MurrietaCA.gov.
About Murrieta – Murrieta’s more than 115,000 residents live in one of the safest cities in the U.S., with top-ranked schools, 52 parks, and a dynamic business environment. Central to all of Southern California, Murrieta.