Home » Shop Local: Campaign underway to encourage gift card purchases from local shops, restaurants

Shop Local: Campaign underway to encourage gift card purchases from local shops, restaurants

NORTHERN KENTUCKY — A campaign to support Northern Kentucky small businesses during the holiday season by encouraging shoppers to purchase gift cards at local shops, restaurants, bars, and more launched Monday and will last through the end of the year.

Operation Winter is Coming is designed to influence consumers to buy holiday gift cards at Northern Kentucky businesses. The effort is an initiative of OneNKY Alliance and is being led by meetNKY l Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau and being supported by OneNKY Alliance members including the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. 

Julie Kirkpatrick

“The effort is unique because the mission of meetNKY is outside of Northern Kentucky, but the most important thing we can do right now is support small businesses and drive as many much-needed customers and sales as possible,” said meetNKY Interim President & CEO Julie Kirkpatrick.

A list of favorite local experiences, including restaurants, bourbon and wine bars, coffee shops, breweries, family-friendly attractions, museums, sweet shops, and more, can be found at this website. The list is designed to help a gift-giver identify local businesses to support while tailoring their gift-card purchases to the recipient’s interests. Links are included for online gif card purchasing where available.

“This year more than ever, Northern Kentucky businesses need our help to survive the holiday season,” Kirkpatrick said. “Gift cards make wonderful gifts and purchasing them right now is a great way to support the businesses that make our communities diverse, thriving places to live and visit.”

“The holidays are a time when Northern Kentucky always comes together as a community,” said Brent Cooper, NKY Chamber president and CEO. “With all the challenges our local businesses continue to face, it is so important for consumers to remember that when they do their holiday shopping to purchase gift cards from a Northern Kentucky business. Gift cards not only make great gifts, but they help our local business owners and operators continue to weather what has been a very tough year.”