TEHACHAPI, Calif. (KERO) — Tehachapi’s Reindeer Rush was a month-long effort used to get the community to shop local and become aware of local businesses.
- Over 25 businesses in Tehachapi participated in Reindeer Rush to boost sales at local small businesses.
- There are plans to use Reindeer Rush again next year.
- The participating businesses say Reindeer Rush was a success. The businesses offered gift prizes to those who collected stamps at various business locations.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Tucked away behind me is the House of Wax record store. Many people had not heard of it in Tehachapi. but thanks to a monthlong effort to make people aware now they know. I’m Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter. It’s called Reindeer Rush helping small businesses.
“It was a lot of fun. Despite the benefits to the business. It was fun just having kids coming in. We would move it around every day into a different spot, just to keep them interested. So it was a lot of fun,” says Matt Battaglia, House of Wax Vinyl Record Store co-owner
Battaglia is talking about moving the plush reindeer doll, a key part of Reindeer Rush in Tehachapi.
“We printed out all these passport books with these names and addresses. We asked the community to go out and get stamps at each of these businesses. So they had to go into the business, find the reindeer, tell the shop owner or whoever was working that they found the reindeer and they received a stamp.”
In doing so, the stamp collectors also shopped at the mom-and-pop businesses. Prizes were given away as participating businesses offered gift prizes.
“I would say 2 to 300 new faces between children and adults just coming in and finding the reindeer, walking in and being like: Hey I long have you been here? No matter how much advertising you do, getting them in here was the biggest thing. So, finding me through the reindeer was amazing,” says Samantha Kight, the owner of Kight’s Sweet Treats.
“It meant a lot for us. We’re kind of in a sort of hard to find location so having people coming in specifically with a map to be able to find us who may not have known we were here was huge for us,” Matt said.
The participating businesses called the event a success.
“You need to shop local. The tax dollars need to stay local, so that you can support the businesses because they employ people. Those tax revenues go into the city or the county. And they are used for police, fire, streets and roads and paving asphalt, illuminating street lights. Those sorts of things. So keeping dollars local is extremely important for every community,” says Greg Garrett, Tehachapi city manager.
There are plans to bring Reindeer Rush back next year. I’m Steve Virgen, your neighborhood reporter.
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