Delivery service initiative helps support local businesses
By Dale Woodard on December 18, 2020.
An initiative encouraging residents to keep their dollars local during COVID-19 times launched Thursday at noon.
Simply Delivery, a local delivery service with no commission fees, has teamed up with Downtown Lethbridge and the Heart of Our City Committee, the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Lethbridge — under the Lethbridge Brighter Together community brand and essence — and Tourism Lethbridge in recognizing the convenience of delivery services as both local consumers and businesses look for options to support each other in a tough time.
Downtown businesses are encouraged to sign up with Simply Delivery and load their menus and services onto the app. Businesses who do so will have the registration fees waived and be able to offer their products on a platform that will offer a safe, recommended, contactless delivery throughout Lethbridge.
As well, customers who download and utilize the Simply Delivery app with the Brighter Together promo code with any participating business city wide will have their delivery fees reduced by 75 per cent by way of the promo code that can be used up to five times per customer account.
Provincial restrictions that became effective last Sunday put a restriction on in-person dining in restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes and lounges across Alberta for a minimum of four weeks.
“Supporting local businesses is one of the four pillars we stand on as a company and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with all of our local businesses,” said Lorien Johansen, executive assistant for Simply Delivery. “The restaurants have been hit particularly hard, but the in-person shopping for retail is also something we offer as a service. So, we’re looking forward to working not just with restaurants, but with shopping and all sorts of other locally owned companies and really providing customers and businesses with a way to continue to support the local economy, but to also stay safe during these difficult times.”
Simply Delivery takes order from their website at http://www.simply.delivery.
“We also have a mobile app in the app store,” said Johansen. “You scroll through, you pick your restaurant and order your food, place your order and it gets delivered.”
Erin Crane, director Investment Attraction with EDL who also sits on the Heart of Our City Committee, said they’ve known about Simply Delivery for a while.
“They’re a great local business and that’s what this is all about, supporting local,” she said. “So not only are we helping other businesses, we’re helping Simply Delivery and we’re also helping the consumer.”
Tulene Steiestol, the new executive director for Downtown Lethbridge Business Revitalization Zone, said they’ll spread the word about the Simply Delivery initiative to its members.
“We’re definitely going to go let them know this opportunity is there and that there is a locally-owned-and-operated food delivery provider because there are some who don’t know Simply Delivery exists,” she said. “There is going to be the opportunity to have the $250 registration fee waived. So, if they sign up and take part in this, they’re already going to be saving that $250, which I think is great news for them, especially right now.”
The initiative will run until it places 3,000 orders or until the end of February, whichever comes first.
No matter the timeline, Crane noted it simply adds up for local businesses and consumers.
“For every $100 that is spent at a local business, $68 of that is estimated stays in the community,” she said.
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