FRANKLIN COUNTY — A $10,000 investment from Gagne Wealth Management Group is expected to generate more than $20,000 in local spending as the firm and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce prepare to launch the second annual ‘buy-$25-get-$50’ Gagne Wealth Gift Card on Wednesday, June 10.
Starting at 9 a.m., the Gagne Wealth Management Group will match every $25 Franklin County Gift Card purchase, giving customers $50 in local spending power and supporting Franklin County small businesses with every swipe. Every dollar generated through the promotion can be spent only at participating Franklin County businesses, creating a direct and measurable investment in the local economy.
“Our goal here is to make spending locally the easiest and most rewarding choice people can make,” Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jessye Deane said. “You don’t need a code or a coupon — you just buy a $25 Franklin County Gift Card on June 10, and it instantly becomes $50 you can gift or spend at dozens of participating businesses across the county.”
Gift cards can be purchased online through a dedicated Gagne Wealth Management Group checkout page on the chamber’s website, where a $25 bonus is automatically added to a single $25 e-gift card at checkout. Gift cards can also be purchased in person at the chamber office at 393 Main St., Greenfield, or by calling the chamber at (413) 773-5463. A limit of five gift cards per person applies while supplies last.
Last year’s promotion generated overwhelming excitement as all 400 available gift cards sold out in under three hours. Since then, the chamber has received regular inquiries from community members eager for the promotion’s return.
“We’re thrilled to bring this promotion back for a second year,” said Merrill Gagne, founder of Gagne Wealth Management Group. “The response from the community has been incredible, and the results demonstrated just how powerful local spending can be.”
In its first year, the Gagne Wealth gift card match injected more than $20,000 in Franklin County spending power guaranteed to benefit local businesses, 70% of which has already hit Franklin County cash registers. Deane noted that, because many recipients spend beyond the value of their gift cards, the program’s total economic impact is likely significantly higher.
Data from the program’s first year signals that cardholders typically visit businesses multiple times rather than spending the entire balance in a single purchase. Recipients use their cards for everyday purchases, explore multiple merchants, and return to spend remaining balances over time, creating repeated opportunities for local businesses to generate sales beyond the value of the gift card itself.
“While online shopping is often transactional, shopping local is experiential,” Deane said. “The Franklin County Gift Card encourages residents to step out their front door, explore their downtowns, try a new restaurant, browse a local shop, and discover businesses they may never have visited otherwise. In doing so, it helps create the kind of authentic community connections that can’t be shipped in a cardboard box.”
Unlike traditional gift cards tied to a single retailer, the Franklin County Gift Card can be redeemed at a diverse mix of restaurants, retailers, attractions, and service providers throughout the county. Because gift cards can be redeemed at dozens of participating businesses, they encourage recipients to discover new businesses, helping distribute economic impact across Franklin County rather than concentrating it in just a few locations. For a full list of participating businesses, visit franklincc.org.
