The Newburyport Retail Collective Hopes to Revitalize Downtown Retail

If you asked most people what makes Newburyport so special, they would probably answer with the picturesque waterfront, historic downtown, lush Maudsley State Park, or windswept Plum Island. In our opinion, there’s another very important addition: Newburyport’s sense of community. As small, independent retailers serving downtown Newburyport, we interact with that community every day, and are continually impressed by its open-mindedness and willingness to embrace new ideas. That’s especially true in the world of retail, where fresh perspectives are crucial to keeping consumers excited about the local shopping experience. 

That’s why we couldn’t be more thrilled about the launch of the Newburyport Retail Collective (NRC), a collaboration between local retailers to promote downtown retail tourism. The goal of the NRC is to generate awareness of downtown retail offerings, and elevate Newburyport as a desirable shopping destination. That means planning special events, getting creative with online promotions, and much more – basically, we’re making shopping fun for Newburyport residents and visitors.

Who are we? We’re retailers with a hyper focus on downtown brick-and-mortar retail. We’re Chamber members and non-Chamber members. We believe collaboration is the best way to create a positive consumer experience. And we’re excited to work with anyone and everyone who supports our mission.

We’re starting with the Holiday Shopping Spree, which runs through December 15^th. If you’ve shopped downtown recently, you may have been given one of our stampable Holiday Shopping Spree cards after making a purchase. If shoppers collect 10 stamps at participating retailers, they can win a $1,000 gift card for a downtown shopping spree (just in time for the holidays). As the NRC really picks up steam going into the new year, Newburyport shoppers can look forward to more fun promotions like this.

We recognize that people are often skeptical of new initiatives, but we’re already encouraged by the enthusiasm we’ve seen for the NRC’s mission. Newburyport’s embrace of the old and the new – new approaches to business, creative ideas, and fresh voices – is what makes this community so special. Our “Collective” is just that: a collective of voices, both old-timers and newcomers, all striving to inject the retail scene with a little creative fun.

The Newburyport Retail Collective

Deb Green, Greetings By Design
Jen Perry, Illume Books
Patrice Sweeney, The Wild Clover
Dianne Sirard, Soak & Shoreline
Valerie Stainton, Valerie’s Gallery

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