Orange City Council will consider spending big to boost local businesses.
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A shop-local campaign including Christmas markets, gift cards, extending a websites-for-businesses project plus indoor and outdoor Future Tunes events will be considered by council on Tuesday night.
Council is planning activities in McNamara Street on Friday October 29 to celebrate the completion of its FutureCity works.
Festoon lights were installed in the McNamara Street car park on the weekend.
The proposed plan is to hold Christmas markets along McNamara Lane with music and roaming performers
- Report to Orange council
A report to council said it would work with the Orange Business Chamber to use those events to launch the 'Shop Local this Christmas' campaign.
"The proposed plan is to hold Christmas markets along McNamara Lane with music and roaming performers," it said.
"With eight weeks to Christmas this event [can] encourage residents to buy from local businesses first this Christmas."
Other plans include launching the Orange Youth Action Council Elf In The Shelf promotion.
Council will also encourage local businesses to trade into the night.
Christmas decorations will be installed in the CBD and Orange's Christmas lights will be turned on.
Future Tunes events would be held indoors in registered businesses plus a community concert in Robertson Park would start after 7pm.
The report has also proposed spending $50,000 on a Think Orange Region Shopping Card promotion.
"Think Orange Region Shopping Card (formerly the Shop Orange Program) is an EFTPOS-based gift card that works like any other gift card or voucher-based system," it said. "As a shop local initiative, the gift cards can only be spent in Orange, Blayney, Molong, Canowindra and surrounding villages, at over 100 participating businesses.
"A significant uptake in the program will see up to $700,000 in gift card value spent in the local economy."
A forum to provide advice to businesses is also planned for later this month at the Orange Ex-Services' Club.
"The 80-minute forum will be conducted by Retail Oasis for the Orange business community and will look at how we can work together and support each other to increase consumer spend," it said.
Meanwhile the Orange Wine Festival night markets in Robertson Park have been moved to December 3.
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