City of Englewood turns to cashback program to help businesses impacted by construction

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Construction has begun on a project set to bring major pedestrian improvements to Old Hampden Avenue in Englewood.

"It has been a little unsettling," said Sue Erickson, owner of Erica's Boutique and Skincare. "Most of my clientele are very regular, and they are determined to get here, so they don't mind driving around a few extra blocks to find me."

Her store is right outside of a stretch of Hampden that's completely closed for construction.

"It's a perceived and, actually, a real hassle," said George Gastis, owner of The Feedery at Grow + Gather. "If there's, you know, flaggers holding you back for two minutes at every third intersection, you're more likely to want to go somewhere else."

Englewood

Pedestrian improvements planned for Hampden Avenue east of downtown Englewood

Danielle Kreutter

To ease the burden, the City of Englewood is using its cashback program to incentivize people to support small businesses impacted by the construction.

"You make your purchases, and what normally happens is you get 5% back," said Brad Power, director of community development for the City of Englewood. "We've increased it to 10% for our Small Business Week celebration."

To participate in the Englewood Earn Program, download the Open Rewards app, which is free for shoppers and business owners.

For businesses that line Old Hampden, the city has bumped up the rewards to 15% cash back. There's a $50 cap on cash back for a single transaction.

"75% of our employers employ fewer than 10 people, and that includes all of our retailers and most of our restaurants as well, and so really providing the support to them from the local community, from our local consumer base, is something that we really concentrate on," said Power.

The Englewood Earn Program launched in August 2024. The city pays $20,000 annually to participate in the app.

"We've rebated or had cash back a little over $11,000, and the total economic impact is about $187,000. So, according to our app administrator, that's about a 17x return on our investment," said Power.

The city has launched a grant assistance program for businesses that are or will be impacted by the construction.

"It's just wonderful to know that our local municipalities got our backs, and they're looking out for us," said Gastis.

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