Martha’s Vineyard Bank’s Lift Merchant Discount Match is back for the holiday season, encouraging shoppers to buy local.
The bank’s Lift Certificates were launched last year amid the ongoing pandemic to help buoy businesses. They work by having consumers buy a Lift Certificate through the lift.mvbank.com website. The bank matches the discounted gift card from up to 10 to 25 percent. The bank also absorbs the cost of setting up and running the Lift store.
For example, if a merchant offers a $100 Lift Certificate at a 10% discount, the bank will match with another 10%, so the consumer gets a $100 gift certificate for $80. With the bank’s match, the retailer gets $90.
The bank has raised $5,000 in its first three days this season. Since its launch, the Lift Certificates have exceeded $661,000 in certificates for local merchants.
“Hospitality as an industry was heavily impacted by the pandmeic. We thought it was important to continue to support those industries,” Martha’s Vineyard Bank vice president of marketing and solution development CJ Conrad told The Times. “We’re encouraging people to shop local … giving merchants an opportunity to gather that local support is important to us as a community organization.”
Interested businesses can enroll in the Lift Certificate program at mvbank.com/lift.