DDC, Chamber of Commerce Selling Holiday Gift Certificates

The Downtown Development Commission and the Madison Chamber of Commerce have partnered to stimulate sales for borough businesses. The two will be selling special Holiday Gift Certificates, which are redeemable in any Madison business.

Certificates are sold at a discount. Certificates of $50 are sold for $45 and those of $20 are sold for $19.

“Our goal is to generate $50,000 in additional sales for Madison Businesses,” DDC chair Carla Brady said in a release.

The discounted $50 gift certificates are on sale at Cramers Carpet One, 73 Main St.

The discounted $20 certificates are being sold through the elementary school Parent Teacher Organizations. Those buying the $20 certificates will also be helping the PTOs, as they will receive a 5 percent commission on every certificate they sell. There are also bonuses for reaching sales targets.

Customers can also buy any item or service in the borough using the certificates and automatically receive an extra 5 or 10 percent discount.

Main Street Executive Director Jim Burnet said the DDC will make up the difference to the merchants. He also said that the DDC pledged $5,000 to fund the initiative.

“This is similar to a program that the chamber launched with the PTOs for last year’s holiday shopping season,” said Chamber of Commerce President John Morris in a release. “The PTOs sold over $16,000 in gift certificates in 2008.  With the help of the DDC and PTOs, we hope to triple the program this year."