HBA gives away more than $2,000 worth of local goods

By Morgan M. Hurley | Contributing Editor

During this past holiday season, as is the case every December, the Hillcrest Business Association (HBA) encouraged people to bring their dollars to Hillcrest to do their shopping.

Encouraging potential customers to “give to your neighborhood and give your neighborhood the opportunity to give back to you,” they launched SHOP Hillcrest, an annual promotional contest that is always a win-win with shoppers and local businesses alike.

Starting on Nov. 24, each visit to a participating Hillcrest business gave shoppers an entry into the Shop Hillcrest raffle contest. The more they shopped, the more raffle tickets went into the drawing and the more opportunities they had to win. There was no limit on the number of shopping days or entries, as long as the visits occurred by Dec. 24.

“Participating businesses received advertising opportunities in a subsidized Shop Hillcrest co-op page in local publications, Facebook, Twitter and online promotions, marketing collateral and radio promotions,” said Megan Gamwell, HBA marketing and communications program manager.

“This campaign really helps to create a cohesive holiday spirit in the neighborhood and brings business owners closer to their customers,” she continued, adding that businesses were also given unique shopping bags to share with their customers, decorative holiday stickers for their storefronts and “Shop Hillcrest for the Holidays” posters to mount in their windows.

The list of this year’s participating HBA businesses included Pure Barre, The Smooth Bar, Empire House, Adam & Eve, Village Hat Shop, Green Fresh Floral’s, Americana Clothing, Cody’s Home + Gift, Obelisk Mercantile, Establish, Crest Café, Gioia’s Room, Urban Optiks Optometry, Uptown Tavern, Detour Salon, Babette Schwartz, Luigi Vera, Urban Mo’s, Baja Betty’s, Gossip Grill, Hillcrest Brewing Company, Local Habit, Purity Apothecary, 100 Wines Kitchen, Artist and Craftsman Supply, The Wine Lover, Pretty Please, Mankind, Blue Stocking Books and Beauty By Dolly.

Many, if not all, of these businesses also donated prizes to the winning shopping spree basket.

“We received more raffle tickets this year than ever before, which leads me to believe we saw more shoppers,” Gamwell said. “A few of the businesses we have spoken to reported an increase in sales due to the campaign.”

Raffle tickets were color coded so that the businesses where the winning ticket was sold could be notified, much like the California Lottery.

The drawing, which was done by lottery and conducted Jan. 7 at the HBA’s offices at 3702 Fifth Ave., #202, bequeathed more than $2,000 in gift certificates and other retail goods from local Hillcrest businesses to two lucky shoppers.

After pulling the winning names, Gamwell said she then alerted the two businesses where the tickets were purchased so they could contact their customers directly and congratulate them on their win.

“I believe that connecting the winners with the business owners is a great way to build strong relationships in our community,” Gamwell said.

Melisa Cebrero won the big grand prize: a shopping spree worth more than $1,700. Her ticket came from Beauty by Dolly, a threading and waxing salon for men and women located at 3650 Fifth Ave., #101.

The Serra Mesa resident, who said she has never won a raffle before, only entered the drawing once, while purchasing salon services for herself. She frequents Hillcrest regularly because of its proximity to her home.

“We dine there often and Dolly’s is my favorite salon,” she said. “The employees in the businesses are always very friendly and fun. I’m definitely excited to try a business that participated that I haven’t been to before.”

Second place — $500 worth of gift certificates and prizes — went to Elena De La Rosa, who made her purchase at Babette Schwartz, a gift emporium located right under the Hillcrest sign at 421 University Ave.

For more information about this annual holiday event, visit ShopHillcrestfortheHolidays.com.

—Reach Morgan M. Hurley at [email protected].