Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce CEO Karla Lee hopes Be in the Bay campaign and online platform will encourage people to spend locally. Photo / Paul Taylor
Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce CEO Karla Lee hopes Be in the Bay campaign and online platform will encourage people to spend locally. Photo / Paul Taylor
Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce has set up a regional campaign and online platform called Be in the Bay to help local businesses recover from the effects of Covid-19.
It comes after feedback from businesses concerned about recovery, consumer spending and the changing environment of shopping.
The platform acts as a one-stop-shop for residents to see Hawke's Bay businesses they can buy from online and eventually in person.
People had said they wanted to support local but weren't sure where to find who was open and wanted all the information in one place.
Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce chief executive Karla Lee said the platform was about "listening to our members and coming up with a tangible product to help them".
The website is for "absolutely everybody" throughout all parts of the region and the platform will feature not only hospitality businesses, but retail, services and tourism experiences.
The campaign aims to create a "constant awareness" around spending locally and helping local businesses recover after the lockdown.
Making the platform region-wide has been important as "it's not just spending in your own backyard", Lee said.
"People in Hawke's Bay love it here and they are very strong advocates for where they live.
"We want to really ignite that passion for living in Hawke's Bay and encourage it.
"For example, if someone feels like buying something crafty, they can go on and see a business in Wairoa which has crafts and it doesn't matter if they live in Havelock North or Central Hawke's Bay because it's about supporting the whole region," Lee said.
Lee said if local businesses did not get support now, they may be at risk of closing.
"Rather than in three or six months' time saying, 'oh well really should've brought from there so it's still open', why don't they do it now," Lee said.
She also hopes the platform becomes a community where locals can nominate businesses to be part of it and sharing the platform with others.
The idea began two weeks ago, and the website was set up one week ago.
About 150 businesses have signed up so far and are being loaded onto the site.
It is free for all businesses to sign up and is not limited to Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce members.
The organisation has also started a Hawke's Bay Chambers Connection Facebook group aimed at connecting businesses for networking, advice, support and a place to ask questions.
Lee also emphasised local tourism and travel within the region when people are able to will also be an important part of the local economy recovery.
Hawke's Bay Regional Council chairman Rex Graham said the economy relied on small businesses.
"In the main they have had to shut their doors and stop trading and they need all of us to help now.
"The supermarkets and their staff have done am incredible job supplying our food over the last few weeks and now it's time for us all to help our smaller retailers who will start to reopen this week.
"Let's all try hard to buy our goods from our local retailers and traders. We need them to be here in the future as a vital part of our local economy," he said.
The Be in the Bay website can be found at https://www.beinthebayhb.com/
