Covid-19 lockdown forced many businesses to close and wait, but some took the time to brainstorm ways to hit the post-lockdown ground running. Douglas Innovation lived up to its name with a novel idea that obviously struck a chord with clients.
Discount + Donate was the idea and local charities Nourished for Nil and NZ Red Cross have each benefited to the tune of just under $7,000.
“Sitting in lockdown we had genuine concern about what life was going to look like for our business and our team,” says Suzanne Hoyt, Douglas owner. “It was important that we had work for our people, but equally, we wanted to give back to the community.
“The sentiment to ‘support local’ has been amazing and it’s wonderful to see so many customers choosing to spend their money locally and making conscious purchase decisions. Nourished for Nil and the Red Cross are great organisations and ones that worked very hard on the frontlines during lockdown.”
Douglas offered customers a five percent discount for projects booked during May and June and then donated five percent of the spend to the charities.
Projects booked have been many and varied, with home improvements a key driver. “We’re all guns blazing now and have fingers crossed it keeps going,” Suzanne says.
Photo caption: Douglas Innovation owner Suzanne Hoyt and sales manager Stephen Sinnott offer thanks to customers for their support after lockdown.