Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the city of Goleta is introducing GoodLandGoodShopping.com, a digital gift card marketplace designed to promote Goleta businesses. Visitors to the site can buy gift cards from Goleta businesses, and merchants can sign up for a free listing at any time. The video is available in English and Spanish.

The goal of the GoodLandGoodShopping.com website is to encourage the public to consider Goleta merchants when shopping, dining, or buying services during the holiday season and beyond. The website was created to boost local spending and help businesses recover from the impacts of the pandemic.

To create the website, the city partnered with Giftbar, a vendor based in San Luis Obispo, with the experience and expertise in gift card commerce. Giftbar hosts businesses on its platform with the technology for businesses to sell and redeem e-gift cards. As a bonus, gift cards can be emailed or texted instantly with personalized messages and/or video, creating a unique virtual gift or care package.

Currently, there are more than a dozen businesses signed up to choose from, but it is hoped that over time more will follow and take advantage of the easy-to-use platform.

“We know how devastating the pandemic has been on our local businesses and it was a high priority of the council to find a tangible way to help,” said Kelly Hoover, Goleta community relations manager. “GoodLandGoodShopping.com gives the public an easy, convenient way to support our awesome businesses. This has the potential to take off and benefit our local economy for years to come.”

To participate and support the effort, community members can do the following:

Go to GoodLandGoodShopping.com and buy a gift card.
Spread the news and promote on social media with #GoodLandGoodShopping.
Encourage Goleta businesses you frequent to sign up by going to the website.

For questions about Giftbar and how to participate, email websupport@giftbar.com or call 866-989-5580. Direct questions for the city to Kelly Hoover, PIO@cityofgoleta.org.