"Local vouchering" helps restaurants, retailers and clubs

"JenaVsVirus" camp develops voucher platform for local stores and service providers

The first easing of coronavirus restrictions is currently dominating life in Jena. However, everyday life is still far from normal. Especially not for the many small and large service providers, stores, cultural and leisure facilities that make up Jena's often-cited diversity and uniqueness. Last week, participants in the "JenaVsVirus" camp also asked themselves how these service providers can be effectively supported.

Purchasing vouchers for a local pub, sports club or favorite club

A team of volunteers led by Christian Waitschies from the Jena-based start-up wunschlösung developed the new Jena online platform #localgutscheining. Vouchers for Jena stores, restaurants, clubs and cultural institutions can be purchased on the portal to support them during the current crisis.

We spoke to many Jena 'locals', i.e. small stores, service providers, but also associations and self-employed people. Their most pressing problem is the loss of turnover while costs continue to run,

says Christian Waitschies.

Help with running costs

The principle of localgutscheining is therefore very simple: I buy a voucher for my favorite pub, sports club or club now and help to cover the running costs in the current situation. At the end of the lockdown, I can then redeem the voucher.

The good thing about it is that using the service is free of charge thanks to the voluntary commitment of the project team - so all proceeds go directly to the participating organizations.

What sets us apart from other platforms is our focus on Jena and our proximity to our locals and the people of Jena. We help the local establishments personally so that they can get started with their vouchers quickly and with little effort. This is important to many people who deliberately did not want to participate in larger voucher platforms,

says Waitschis. According to the platform creators, many vouchers also offer a free drink or other gift as a small thank you for your support.

Online since 24.04. with many Jena establishments - from cafés to cinemas

The platform has been online since April 24. Without having done much advertising, it now brings together nine Jenaestablishments - from cafés to a fitness club to a cinema.

New offers are added every day. We now receive many inquiries from local stores or other service providers who have been referred to our platform by their customers,

says a delighted Daniela Böttger-Schmidt from Jena, who has remained involved in the project on a voluntary basis even after taking part in the JenaVsVirus camp.

Wave of solidarity

The project team and the local institutions are delighted with the wave of solidarity they have felt through the website and the feedback. According to the creators , the first 80 vouchers worth over 2,300 euros have already been sold via localgutscheining.de.

Wilfried Röpke, Managing Director of Wirtschaftsförderung Jena, also finds the idea exciting:

With the #localgutscheining platform, not only individuals can support their favorite stores or establishments during the crisis. The website is also a good tool for direct B2B - i.e. 'business to business' - support, i.e. help from the local economy for local companies,

says Röpke.

Jena companies also buy vouchers for their employees

Jena companies that are less or not at all affected by the crisis are buying vouchers from the relevant institutions, e.g. as a bonus for their employees, for a future service or for a future team event.

True to the motto "Shared anticipation is the greatest joy", the vouchers are ideal as a gift, according to the initiators.

Great gift idea

Hopefully in the near future, we will be able to experience beautiful things together again - eating out, strolling, shopping, but also attending yoga classes or the gym, going dancing and listening to concerts,

say the platform makers.

For the future, of course, we hope that our local service industry can continue to make Jena happy even after the coronavirus crisis. However, it is also important for us as a team, but also for our 'locals', that something practical remains for the future. Until now, you usually had to go to the store to buy vouchers. If it had to be done quickly, it was often something that could be ordered from home. Now there is a convenient alternative from Jena for Jena,

says initiator Christian Waitschis. If the demand continues, they want to talk to the owners about how to proceed. There should be no shortage of ideas and committed implementers.

Please spread the word

Until then, it's time to buy vouchers and spread the word! This way, everyone can make a small contribution to ensuring that our city is just as diverse after corona - and perhaps even a little cooler,

says Christian Waitschies, looking optimistically to the future.

An overview of all projects can be found at #JenaVsVirus.