Butte Bucks working through changes

More coins for locals if lodging component does not sell out

Locals and visitors can still save 20 percent by shopping locally, with some help from the chamber of commerce. This year’s deadline to redeem Butte Bucks has been extended to January 19. The longer duration of savings is intended to stimulate local spending in January, a normally slower time for businesses.

“We want to see the benefit come back to our towns, our local community,” said Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce executive director David Ochs. “We want to encourage our guests and visitors to shop locally for the holidays, occupy the creative, unique, and only found in Crested Butte businesses, and spur further spending with this generous [20 percent] discount.”
Ochs said so far this year the program is working well. The 2,200-plus Butte Bucks allotted to local residents sold out as anticipated, with the same amount of locals participating this winter as last.
In the first year with an added lodging component, the chamber has seen some hiccups in getting the word out to all those who are visiting. But the executive director said he has seen more guests from out of town come in to purchase coins the last few days. On Tuesday, December 30, Ochs reported via email that the chamber was seeing a pretty regular stream. “I think they’re getting more notice and we’re seeing guests/visitors coming in regularly. Two hundred thirty more coins have sold so far today.” As of Tuesday evening, 1,382 were still set aside for lodging guests.
“Once they are in the chamber, it’s a great opportunity to explain the program and how it works,” Ochs said. “We can in turn let them know that when they come back next year, we’ll have these Butte Bucks set aside for them, and they can do all their holiday shopping here.”
Ochs explained that many visitors pick up instantly on supporting local commerce, and are glad to take part in the program. He added that the attractive, heavy, gift-like coins are smart souvenir ideas as they will not lose value. “When visitors return next season they will still see the same savings at local participating businesses—yet another reason the chamber encourages returning visitors to do their holiday shopping here in town. It costs them less, supports the local community and saves luggage space during travel.”
The program was traditionally funded by the two towns and offered locals a chance to buy $100 worth of coins for $80. This year, the chamber decided to made a few changes. The participating businesses were required to help subsidize the 20 percent discount and a lodging component was added to get coins to visitors in an effort to attract them into local establishments.
Ochs expects to have more coins for residents in the future. “Such is the plan with the program, to have more coins for locals in the coming years,” he said. “Traditionally, and this year was no exception, there is a line out the door when they first go on sale. We understand it’s difficult for locals to get here during those hours. This year, we minimized the times they were for sale in an effort to spread it out and get more locals in at different times and different days, but they still went fast and sold out in two days—six hours’ time.”
Ochs said next year he would like to see the coins go on sale after hours, perhaps from 7 to 10 p.m., in an effort to allow those who work during the daytime hours to get coins.
The chamber wants to see locals take advantage of this program and help those who are working hard to make it here. “Often for that person, it’s easier to shop online for their goods,” Ochs said. “This is a program dedicated to keep spending and purchases here in our valley. We want to make it simple, and if there are coins available, it’s as easy as coming down to the chamber with cold, hard, cash, and walking away with a $20 per day savings, just like that.”
Visitors wishing to purchase Butte Bucks can pick up a voucher from their hotel and stop by one of two Chamber of Commerce locations: at the Four-way Stop in downtown Crested Butte, or next to the bus stop at Mountaineer Square in Mt. Crested Butte. Buy one coin ($10 value) for just $8, or 10 coins for $80. The limit is 10 coins, or $100 value per day. Without a hotel voucher, visitors are not out of luck—they’ll just have to find another way to prove they’re staying at a local rental accommodation.
That’s all there is to it. There are plenty of ways to spend Butte Bucks. Participating businesses will be listed on the directory people are given when they purchase their coins, and should also have a door sign that reads, “Butte Bucks accepted here.”
If visitors do not purchase all the Butte Bucks allotted to visitors by January 3, Ochs says, the coins may be re-introduced to locals for the remainder of the program, which runs until January 19. The goal therein would be to get coins in the hands of those who have not yet received them and are looking to fulfill their shopping needs with some assistance and a desire to support local businesses.
To stay up-to-date with the Butte Bucks happenings, “like” the Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce on Facebook or check the website, www.cbchamber.com.