Fresno businesses offer holiday discounts with help from Yelp – GV Wire

After a year of brutal pandemic that left many entrepreneurs struggling, businesses in Fresno have re-energized their operations for the holiday season.

Yelp Partners With Fresno For The Holidays

To start holiday spending, Monday, November 29 to Sunday, December 12, social media platform Yelp has partnered with 20 small Fresno businesses area to help drive consumers to their stores, stores and restaurants.

The widely used application will help local businesses host a series of recording offers using their app for discounts, deals and events to help spread the holiday cheer and contribute to Fresno’s economy.

In addition to the deals, companies will be hosting community events such as a community yoga class, wine tasting, and virtual hand lettering session during the holidays.

COVID-19 puts the brakes on vacation spending

In previous years, Black Friday shoppers have flocked to chain stores and nationwide businesses as soon as Thanksgiving dinner ended.

However, the pandemic has changed many of those holiday traditions, and according to a recent poll by WalletHub, in-person sales are down 37% from 2019. The latest data shows 69 million Americans plan to spend less this holiday season than the year before.

Besides the obvious impact of the pandemic on holiday shoppers, what is driving some consumers to spend less this season?

The WalletHub survey reports that 18% of Americans have credit card debt from the last holiday season, and 48% say they don’t pay off all holiday purchases by the due date. One in four say they will forgo their in-person holiday shopping because of COVID-19.

Fresno businesses may have better spending prospects

However, spending has not slowed in the Central Valley, says Gary Janzen, senior strategist and creative director at Janzen Brands.

Valley businesses are better placed to engage local consumers than national brands who may not be as closely connected with their customers.

Now more than ever, businesses are well positioned to leverage consumer values, says Janzen. It emphasizes the offer of low cost services, sales, discounts and above all good customer service.

So, while consumer spending is on the decline across the country, the point of spending in Fresno is there, Janzen says.

“So many freedoms have been impacted, but the appetite is there,” Janzen says. “Consumers are willing to pay more for value, and value is not just the price. It’s an equation between the price and what you get for that price.

How to stay protected from scams

For those planning to shop online for the holidays this year, experts warn that cases of fraud and scams start weeks in advance.

Here is a list of tips from the Better Business Bureau:

• If a deal sounds too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.
• Any high priced item with more than 15% discount is a red flag.
• Do not respond to spam or suspicious text messages.
• Don’t click on unfamiliar links on social media.
• Slow down, be careful what you buy.
• Protect devices with security software.
• Use credit cards for purchases

Information on Fresno Vacation Offers

For a list of offers and events from businesses in Fresno in partnership with Yelp, seelick here

If you want to support local businesses, you can participate in Small Business Saturday November 27