Beginning Black Friday, November 29, Buy Local Bonus is back! Shoppers who spend $100 at San Luis Obispo businesses can qualify for a $25 gift card to another San Luis Obispo business, while supplies last.
To qualify for a gift card, spend $100 or more on gifts this holiday season at small, local retailers here in San Luis Obispo and bring a copy of your itemized receipt(s) to the San Luis Obispo Visitor Center. Qualified participants can then choose between currently available gift cards from other local businesses including retailers, eateries and personal service providers in SLO. Shoppers can qualify up to three times through Christmas Eve or until the program sells out. While multiple receipts may be used to qualify for a single entry, one receipt cannot be used for more than one entry.
“We know how important the Buy Local Bonus program is to our community each year and we’re thrilled to bring it back for its fifth iteration,” said SLO City Manager Whitney McDonald. “San Luis Obispo businesses are the heart of this community, so this season, support your favorite places that help make SLO so special. For every $100 you spend locally, you get a $25 gift card. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!”
In 2023, the program injected more than $940,000 into the local economy, selling out with 5,000 qualified shopper entries. The City of San Luis Obispo and the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce are partnering for the fifth year in a row to boost local spending throughout the holiday season. The City is purchasing gift cards from local businesses to support SLO’s economic vitality at a time when online shopping is a serious threat to local retailers.
“There are so many great options when it comes to holiday shopping in SLO,” said Jim Dantona, President/CEO for the SLO Chamber of Commerce. “Supporting our fantastic local businesses and getting rewarded for it is the best way to show up for our business community this season.”
This program is not limited to a defined list of businesses, you can qualify by shopping at any of your favorite small, local retailers in SLO. In the spirit of shopping small, receipts from the following business types do not qualify for Buy Local Bonus: Big box retailers, convenience and drug stores, grocery stores and supermarkets, lodging businesses, and fueling or gas stations. Gift cards will be available from a wide range of participating businesses, with gift card options rotating regularly.
Parking Downtown During the Holidays
For those heading downtown, the deal is made even sweeter with free parking in downtown garages on select days throughout the holiday season. As a gift to the community to help support local businesses and encourage everyone to celebrate the season together downtown, free parking is available on the following days during the 2024 holiday season in all three public parking garages (842 Palm Street, 919 Palm Street and 871 Marsh Street):
- Thanksgiving through the following Sunday (November 28 – December 1)
- Every Sunday in December (December 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29)
- December 24-26 and
- New Year’s Eve and Day (December 31 and January 1).
And to drive support for local eateries in the New Year, the City of San Luis Obispo will be debuting SLO Restaurant Month to the community in January. Stay tuned for more information about how you can participate and dine deliciously all month long! For more details on the Buy Local Bonus program, including how businesses can participate and FAQs, visit BuyLocalBonusSLO.com.