Buying Universal Vouchers for a large group?

We'll build you a custom campaign and send to as many recipients as you need; from 10 to 10,000! Recipients are sent a code assigned fixed credit value. They then redeem that credit at any of the 2,000+ businesses on the SOS platform using the inKind App.

We'll be a little slower to respond across the holiday period, as our Team takes some time with their families. Thank you for your understanding!

Click Here To LEARN MORE

Week 6 Report (2 May)

by SOS Business

Save our local small businesses

Kia Ora, thanks for being part of the sos initiative. We are happy to be at Level 3 now because this means we are closer to a nation-wide recovery from COVID-19. All of the volunteers at SOS have managed to go out this week to support a local business. 

This week we hit $1.3 million in sales!

Welcome to those who are new - we send out a newsletter like this every week. We'd also like to thanks our supporters - Kiwibank, Mercury, Phoenix, ABC Business Sales and Anchor, who have joined us in supporting the costs running the site. Thanks! (and we are always looking for more supporters if you are keen...)

In this issue we will cover:

Key Statistics

As at the time of writing (2.30pm Saturday the 2nd May), here are the key stats:

Total order value: $1.3 million
Businesses joined: 2487
Orders: 23,500
Vouchers sold: 60,600+
Average order size - $55

All the orders placed up until 30th April have also been paid out, and we will do another couple of payment runs this coming week.

Key Updates

  • We added a way for you to do voucher redemption tracking to our Vendor Portal
  • Level 3 Open filters - customers can now browse our Level 3 filters to buy food from venues that are operating during Level 3
  • POLi has waived all transaction fees so tell your customers to buy your vouchers using POLi so you don't get charged transaction fees!
  • We added a section for Maori owned businesses - let us know if you'd like to be included in that list
  • We had a few LARGE orders (like, 1000+ vouchers) from employers or brands wanting to do promotions or rewards. It's a great idea - they buy a whole pile of gift cards, and their staff get to use them for the businesses they love. Get in touch if you think of any businesses who might be keen to do something similar and we can make it easy for them...

Tip: to save this image to share on your social platforms, hold and select "save to device" (on mobile) or click and drag image on your desktop (on computer)

Tips & Tricks

We know that every time we share something on social media, our voucher sales increase. That's because it drives awareness of our cause and helps us stay top of mind for customers.

We have seen the same effect with venues who share their story on social media too. 

Share your brand on social media, whether it's a photo of how you're creating ad hoc pick-up stations or a special item on your menu. Tag us in it (Instagram @sosbusinessnz, Facebook @soscafenz) and if we see it, we'll share it with our network. 

These are a couple of photos we shared of local businesses this week. Both got significant attention on our social platforms.

Start Level 3 with a bang

Some of you have opened this week, some will be opening next week. It doesn't matter when you open but you can start with a bang. 

We have a few resources to help point you in the right direction during this time:

1. Voucher redemption

We have updated our Vendor FAQs with ideas around how you can redeem vouchers at a distance: https://sosbusiness.nz/pages/for-vendors

2. Celebrations

As we move into Level 3, people want to feel like they're getting back to (new) normal. Celebrations are milestones that signify progression. An upcoming celebration is Mother's Day on May 10th. 

Check out this blog article on how you can help your customers celebrate.

We are also planning a nation-wide campaign to encourage people to purchase Gift Cards for Mothers Day. e-Gifting has been on the rise since people are not able to visit malls to buy gifts for special occasions.

3. Offers

We have collated many offers for you to choose from. These range from subsidised Click & Collect setups by technology providers to contact tracking apps to a small business series. 

View offers here.

Your help needed! - Startup Week Aotearoa

Startup Weekend Aotearoa is a 54-hour virtual Hackathon aimed at helping NZ recover through COVID-19. We are wondering if you can fill in a quick survey to see the viability on an idea to help tackle the issue of COVID-19 and how customers can drink coffee safely & sustainably through cafes. We only have time to gather opinions today by 8pm tonight (Saturday 2nd May), so we would really appreciate your support!

Fill in this survey for Cafes Owners: https://eleisha399148.typeform.com/to/NxbKN8

New Partners and Friends

We have partnered with a few like-minded folk to help take SOS to the next level so that we can support small businesses around New Zealand better.

Kiwibank have got a range of initiatives to support you or your business, if you’ve been financially impacted by COVID-19, they also have guides to help you bank from home. For all other updates see their COVID-19 page.

Thanks to Kiwibank for your support of sosbusiness.nz!


Mercury is pleased to be able to assist with support for the SOS Business initiative. Small businesses across the country are the backbone of our economy, but we also understand that they are fundamental to thriving communities.

If you are a Mercury customer, and your business has been impacted by COVID-19, get in touch if you need our help. We're committed to supporting you through this period of uncertainty.

Simply enter your details here or call us on 0800 456 222 and our team will work through an energy plan that suits your circumstances.

Check this out - support our friends at Eat My Lunch and watch their 'Mystery Box Challenge' - Facebook Live at 5pm on Sunday 3rd.
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