It took only a few hours for the Carroll Chamber of Commerce to sell out of discounted gift cards to local businesses during their flash sale Wednesday afternoon. Chamber staff announced on Tuesday they would be selling 250 $30 gift cards for local businesses at only $20 each thanks to generous donations from Availa Bank, Commercial Savings Bank, Iowa Savings Bank, United Bank of Iowa and Westside State Bank. Executive Director, Shannon Landauer, says their site experienced a huge influx of traffic that resulted in an unexpected system crash.
The purpose of the flash sale was to generate support for local businesses that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and she says they certainly met that goal. For those that missed out Wednesday, Landauer says not to worry, as they are already planning for another one soon.
A date for the next flash sale has not been scheduled, but it could be as soon as next week. While the effort was a success, Landauer says local businesses will need ongoing support throughout the public health crisis. She encourages people to order delivery or take-out from restaurants whenever possible or to purchase gift cards from your favorite stores now for use after the declared state of emergency has passed.
