Community & Business
7 November, 2025
Chamber gift card promotes local Christmas shopping
THE region’s canny and cost-conscious Christmas shoppers are being urged to “buy locally” this Christmas by Mareeba Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber president Joe Moro said there was no need to overlook local retailers who provide many thousands of local shoppers with thousands of gift options when it comes to gifting, either at Christmas or all year around.
“With hundreds of long-established and new businesses and service providers in our CBD and surrounds, we really are spoilt for choice,” he said.
“But as we all know, quite a number of Christmas and other gifts are destined for the “returns counter” at any retailer for any number of reasons, wrong size, recipient already has one, wrong colour, and the list goes on and on.
“However, there is another local shopping option available. “The Mareeba Chamber Gift Card can be obtained from participating businesses, and this gives the recipient heaps of choices to obtain something they really need.”
Mr Moro said the Chamber Gift Card recipient’s choice is amazing.
“For instance, last year, one of our gifted gift cards was used to pay for services at a participating dental practice,” he said.
“That’s much better than having to go to the returns department for something that was the wrong colour or size.”
Mr Moro said online shopping from out-of-area retailers was increasingly resulting in buyers getting products that were not necessarily represented in imagery or available sizes.
“People who buy locally, or have obtained a Mareeba Chamber Gift Card, can see, feel and try products for size – online areas cannot provide that, and often have little, if any, purchaser support after the order has been placed,” he said.
Online shopping also directed payments and revenue from local economies.
“It is a tenet of retail and service businesses that every dollar spent locally is used in the local economy at least four times as local businesses pay employees, and other outgoings from services to support local sporting and community groups,” Mr Moro said.
“Every time someone spends outside of their local retail and service providers, that’s money totally lost to the community, usually at a time when they need it most.
Which was why the Mareeba Chamber of Commerce had developed the card and Buy Locally campaign.
“The gift card certainly makes gifting so much easier for the presenter and the recipient,” Mr Moro said.
