Tempe, Arizona-based Hownd has made several immediate changes designed to help local merchants weather the impact of Covid-19. The company is a foot traffic generation platform that helps brick-and-mortar businesses attract new and returning customers through multi-channel digital distribution of promotional offers.
Since the coronavirus pandemic has escalated, many local businesses have been forced to temporarily close while others are experiencing significantly reduced customer foot traffic. These local businesses are desperately trying to brave a storm of economic uncertainty. For many, reduced or eliminated revenue for even a few months can break their business.
Hownd has heard from many owners/operators about how the current situation is affecting them.
“The local brick-and-mortar merchants we support are acutely feeling the pain from what’s going on now,” said Brandon Willey, Hownd’s CEO. “In light of this, we’ve made some adjustments to better serve them during this unprecedented situation.”
One of the initiatives the company has already put into action is permanently eliminating monthly subscription fees on its Hownd platform to help local merchants conserve their cash.
“We strongly believe that, for certain types of services, businesses should only pay for results and what they pay should be reasonable and affordable—especially now,” Willey said. “Our Pay-Per-Visit pricing model means merchants only pay when Hownd brings them customers after they re-open.”
“With revenue severely reduced and in many cases halted, eliminating Hownd subscription fees removes a recurring expense that local businesses can’t afford and shouldn’t have to pay anyway,” Willey said. “This will help them sustain their business now and through the recovery period when re-growth is critical.”
In addition, Hownd is working closely with its merchants to create and distribute “Buy Now, Visit Later Support Vouchers.” In the past two weeks, the company has generated almost $250,000 in new revenue for its merchants, and that number is increasing daily.
“Given current market conditions, immediate access to cash flow is the lifeblood for local business owners,” said Willey. “When a consumer purchases a gift card or voucher, we immediately provide that cash to merchants, even though customers may not redeem until sometime in the future. And, if the customer never redeems the gift card, our merchants still keep the revenue. This can be a game-changer for merchants who need revenue now to keep the lights on.”
In addition, Hownd has temporarily doubled the standard service range around each merchant’s location to 10 miles. This means 4 times more consumers will be exposed to their gift card promotions via the MyHownd consumer mobile app, which broadens the opportunity for more immediate revenue.
To learn more about how Hownd can help your business withstand current economic conditions, or if you know a merchant that could benefit from this program, visit www.hownd.com/BraveTheStorm.
Consumers who want to learn more about how they can support their local businesses by purchasing “Buy Now, Visit Later Support Vouchers” can visit www.myhownd.com/BuyNowVisitLater. Consumers can also download the MyHownd mobile app from the App Store or Google Play.
