Westport Downtown Dollars is a digital gift card program designed to help the town's restaurants, shops and other businesses.

The Westport Downtown Merchants Association is launching "Westport Downtown Dollars," a digital gift card program designed to help local restaurants, shops and other businesses.

WESTPORT, CT — In an effort to help local restaurants, shops and other businesses that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, the Westport Downtown Merchants Association is launching a new initiative, "Westport Downtown Dollars."

The downtown dollars program is a community-based digital gift card designed to make "it fun and easy to keep local spending local."

The digital gift cards, hosted by Yiftee.com and which can be purchased here, can be used at any of the participating businesses in town. So far, eight local businesses have signed up, with more on the way.

"As a group, we have worked really hard to recruit participating merchants, and we hope this helps support local shopping this holiday season," Jessica Issacs, communications director for the downtown merchants group, told Patch.

Personal messages can be written to the digital card, and they can be sent to family, friends or colleagues via email or text. The purchaser also can send a physical card.

"Recipients can choose to spend it at many local merchants (adding more every day!) Westport Downtown Dollars makes the perfect gift or stocking stuffer," the merchants group said. "Now you can give back to the community while you enjoy the holidays."

Issacs emphasized that supporting local businesses, especially at this time, is important because it means "supporting the heart of what makes our community unique."

The digital cards helps create a pool of cash on which local businesses in downtown Westport can rely.

"Studies have shown that local independent retailers recirculate 47 percent of their revenue back into the community, while only 14 percent of national chains' revenue stays in the community," the merchant group said. "More dramatically, restaurants recirculate 73 percent of their revenue back into the community, versus only 30 percent for national chains."

From the Westport Downtown Merchants Association:
By supporting local businesses, more money continues circulating through the local community—this is achieved through a combination of profits paid to local business owners, wages paid to local workers, goods and services procured locally for internal use or resale, and charitable giving within the community. If you're looking for a way to do some good or want to know how you can help the community you love, send a Westport Downtown Dollars eGift Card today! For more information or to participate as a merchant in the program, please contact the Westport Downtown Merchants Association here.

About Yiftee:
Yiftee (Yiftee.com) is the award winning, no hassle eGift card and promotions solution for local businesses and communities. Over 100 cities and towns across the United States have successfully implemented Yiftee's Community Card program, pumping revenue back into their local businesses and helping their communities thrive. With no special technology or POS integration, no revenue-share and no special accounting, it's easy for merchants and communities to offer eGift Cards on their website and Facebook pages. Merchants gain additional sales, foot traffic, and an eGifting capability like big retailers. Consumers, corporations, and merchants use the Yiftee mobile and online website to send thoughtful, unexpected gifts via email, text or print. Recipients pick up their Yiftee gifts using their smartphone at their favorite local restaurants and shops, driving profitable business to those merchants. For more info see Yiftee.com or email info@yiftee.com.