The domino effect of COVID-19 pandemic has hit businesses of all sizes and shapes along with the global economy at its worst. A lot of industries are not just losing huge layoffs and revenues, but are also at risk of going out of business.
Every industry, whether aviation or offline shopping, has estimated the losses of whopping $252 billion in 2020 alone. A lot of businesses are facing fall down due to uncontrolled Coronavirus outbreak. And pressure of mass refunds is definitely one of them. This way, a lot of companies are doing hard to keep up with their liquidity on their own. Hence, they are offering discounts, gift vouchers, and loyalty programs that customers can redeem one the crisis ends to keep the revenue going.
Use Gift Cards to Help Small Businesses
If you are unable to shop with your preferred restaurant or store online, it’s better to opt for a gift card and use it at a small business to help them improve their cash flow. A gift card can help them in this tough situation and you can use it on the way once life gets back to normal. If you use your credit card to buy a gift card, you should find out the rewards you can get on the purchase. For example, if you buy a restaurant gift card, it can be used as a rewards point on a restaurant.
Even if you can’t buy anything as you are staying at home because of lockdown, you can still inject some cash and support your favorite small business in need. It’s like a helping hand to your favorite restaurant or local shops from your side. You can spend even a small amount of Rs. 100 or more and inspire others to do so and use it as a gift card whenever things get back to normal.
Other Ways to Help
- Delivery
Of course, your favorite restaurants have been closed but many restaurants may still be offering delivery. Ordering from them not only helps keeping their business going, but also adds another source of income for delivery workers. A lot of services like Zomato and Swiggy have sent guidelines to their drivers to provide contact-less and safe deliveries.
- Shop from local businesses
A lot of mainstream ecommerce sites have stopped deliveries, except essential items. On the other side, many traditional stores are working hard to keep up with their business. If possible, buy from local shops and help them to keep up in their tough situations.
- Don’t go out for anything if you are not feeling well
If you are sick, there is no reason for you to risk someone else’s life. It is definitely common sense. But opt for delivery if you need something. You may have a lot of small businesses nearby offering home delivery. A customer going out and risking their employee’s life is the last thing those businesses would need.
- Use Debit/Credit Cards
Prefer debit or credit card rather than cash when it comes to go shopping. Coins and paper currency pass through a lot of hands and catch different germs. So, it’s high time to limit the use of cash to avoid the spread of germs.
- Keep Patience
Businesses are running drastically low on capacity in a lot of cases. So, there are high chances that you may have to face longer queues and, sometimes, your favorite items may go out of stock. No business is safe from that inconvenience. They desperately want to fulfill your needs more than you. So, keep patience and let them arrange supplies. Keep in mind that they are working hard to stay available to fulfill the needs of their community.
- Show Gratitude
Wherever you go for grocery shopping and get whatever you need, don’t forget to thank the shopkeeper and employees who are working hard to stock up their shelves. You may not realize how hard these employees are working to keep their store full of supplies and food to meet the needs of their customers and to keep the store clean. Even a “thank you” can spread goodwill and show your gratitude towards them.
Bottom Line
These days, even governments are encouraging customers to use gift cards and other payment methods like NEFT, UPI, debit/credit cards and mobile banking to make payments in stores rather than cash to prevent the spread of deadly viruses. This time, it’s very important to support local businesses by buying gift vouchers from them to inject some cash and help them.