Lakeview offering gift cards for holiday shopper

With the holidays just around the corner, a Chicago North Side neighborhood is providing incentives for residents who support local business by shopping in the area.

The Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce began its 11th Annual Giver’s Gift program Nov. 1. Residents who spend $300 at three or more merchants within the Lakeview East boundaries until Dec. 25 can receive a $50 gift card to use at local shops.

With Chicago’s famed Magnificent Mile a short trip away, the program is designed to encourage residents to shop locally and support small businesses.

There is a minimum purchase of $25 per receipt and a maximum total of $100 can be from the purchase of groceries and liquor.

“I think it’s a cool concept, I’ll definitely buy whatever I can up here rather than dealing with Michigan Avenue,” said Jay Kidd, a Lakeview resident who was shopping along Broadway Avenue buying Christmas presents.

The participating businesses range from coffee shops to shoe stores, as well as clothing boutiques and restaurants.

Lakeshore Flower Shop, 3140 N. Broadway Ave., has participated in the program since it started in 1996. The florist said more people participated in the program in past years, but it seems fewer customers know about it this year.

“We’ve had to keep telling people that were buying to save the receipt,” said Rosemary Ferrantelli, a flower shop employee. “A lot of them weren’t even aware that they could use it at other participating stores in the Lakeview area.”

To get word out about the program, the Chamber of Commerce advertises in both local and major papers and on the Internet and with billboards.

“We have a lot of return loyal shoppers who get direct mail from us about it,” said the executive director of the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce Maureen Martino.

Residents are encouraged to shop early. People can bring their receipts to the Chamber of Commerce office, located at 3138 N. Broadway Ave., as soon as possible because gift cards are limited and tend to run out. The Chamber of Commerce allotted $20,000 for 400 gift cards this season.

Money for the gift cards comes from funding generated by the local Special Service Area. Located in SSA #8, Lakeview East property owners pay localized property tax that is used to fund additional services and programs in the neighborhood.

Special Service Areas are a “mechanism for contiguous industrial, commercial and residential areas to expand service and programs through localized property tax levy,” according to the City of Chicago’s Web site. The money is monitored by the city and can be used for programs such as the Giver’s Gift cards, said Martino.

“We’ve probably given out about 150 cards already,” said Martino. “We typically run out by just about Christmas.”

Some participating stores, such as the flower shop, are not a high priority for people looking to buy clothes and necessities, said Ferrantelli. They do not generate as much extra business in the holiday season as some other stores tend to do.

Businesses such as the local Walgreens and Starbucks stores are participating in the program, potentially drawing customers away from smaller businesses when they go to redeem their cards, said Ferrantelli.

“I’ve been saving my receipts,” said Kristin Harris, a Lincoln Park resident who found out about the program in the paper. “I’m looking forward to that $50 gift card because I’m addicted to Starbucks and I’m in Lakeview a lot so I can use it.”

Other neighborhoods in the area are offering similar programs, such as the Holiday Shopper’s Rebate Program in Rogers Park. Customers who bring in $100 worth of receipts from at least three different stores in Special Service Areas #19 and #24 will receive a $25 rebate check. Completed rebate forms and receipts should be sent to DevCorp North, 1557 W. Howard, no later than Jan. 31, 2008.

Those who shop in Oak Park and spend at least $400 at seven different locations can receive $50 in Shopper’s Rewards certificates. They can be picked up at the Oak Park Visitors Bureau, 158 Forest Ave., and can be redeemed between Jan. 1 and Feb. 15, 2008.

Although Lakeview’s free gift cards will stop being distributed at Christmas, they never expire and can be used at participating stores. A complete list of merchants participating in the program can be found on the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce’s Web site.