Photo by Erin Nelson.
Kim Poyner hands a Village Gold gift certificate to Katie Smith at Please Reply, a local boutique in downtown Mountain Brook. The certificate program recently went digital, making it easier to purchase and use.
Village Gold predates Suzan Doidge’s tenure at the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce. She became executive director 11 years ago and said the popular gift certificate program had existed for close to a decade before her arrival.
Not much had changed about Village Gold since its inception. People have been able to purchase printed certificates at the chamber’s office or City Hall and redeem them at local businesses that are chamber members.
“It’s been a vehicle for us to keep our tax revenue in our community,” Doidge said.
Recently, the program received its first major tweak. On Sept. 3, the chamber took Village Gold digital. It can now be bought online at mtnbrookchamber.org, in addition to in-person at the usual locations.
Doidge said it was time to move into the 21st century.
“We see this as a convenience to the consumer,” Doidge said. “The consumer is going to utilize this more because it’s more accessible.”
The chamber financed the project and is covering all related costs for merchants. Doidge said chamber members like the program because they don’t have to pay to play.
“There’s no service charge, no convenience charge, no set-up fees, no fees at all,” she said.
Village Gold is available for purchase in $5 increments, with individual certificates available in the amounts of $5, $10, $20 and $25. When customers walk up to store counters to pay, they can scan the virtual currency on their phones.
Molly Wallace, the chamber’s project manager, said the shift should boost the program.
“With as much success as the Village Gold program has already had, we really expect it to soar once people don’t have to make it to town hall during business hours,” she said.
Wallace said Village Gold has long been a popular gift within the community. She’s heard of businesses that buy it for employees who complete training, churches that award it to kids who memorize Scripture and parents who give it to their children as an allowance.
Doidge said Village Gold also has become a top choice for teacher gifts since parent-teacher organizations in Mountain Brook started promoting it about seven years ago. Instead of purchasing gift cards for stores at The Summit, Doidge said the PTOs began heralding Village Gold.
“It’s fun to see the ways the community has really adopted Village Gold and gotten creative with it,” Wallace said. “We hope to see that even more.”
Village Gold’s digitization will allow the chamber to more accurately track its use. In the past, it has been an inexact science.
“It seems to be, in our opinion, a win-win,” Doidge said.
John High, a manager at chamber member Mountain Brook Sporting Goods, said his store processes Village Gold consistently. Around the holidays, customers come in to redeem it several times per week.
High said it’s a good program that will only get better with the recent update.
“I just think maybe it will make it easier for people,” High said, “and a little bit more of a modern system.”
