ASB launches a virtual marketplace to help Kiwis support local this Christmas

ASB has created the ASB Virtual Christmas Marketplace, a one-stop online shop to help consumers with Christmas gift ideas from New Zealand businesses this year.

ASB business customers from a range of industries across the country are involved, including The Caker, Skullcandy, Chaos & Harmony, Jamie Kay and Good Cocktail Co. with many of the businesses offering shoppers discounts and deals too.

Shoppers simply browse for the perfect Christmas gift and click through to each business’s own website to complete a sale.

ASB’s Executive General Manager for Business Banking Tim Deane says, “It’s been a tough year for Kiwi businesses from Stewart Island to Northland and we wanted to do our bit to help our ASB business customers get through the important Christmas trading season and end 2020 on a positive note.

“The ASB Christmas marketplace is an annual tradition which has been going for a couple of years now. But it was COVID-19 forcing us to continue to innovate that provided us with an unexpected opportunity to grow it into an even bigger event. Going online means we haven’t been limited to a physical event in Auckland so we’re now able to support even more businesses from all over New Zealand while also promoting them regionally through our social media channels.”

This year’s virtual marketplace is the latest in a range of ASB initiatives this year aimed at supporting local businesses through the economic impacts of COVID-19.

The bank’s support has included the launch of the ASB Business Hub, the Borrow the All Blacks, Black Ferns and Māori All Blacks campaign where ASB shared its New Zealand Rugby sponsorship with 100 SMEs across the country, and Borrow Eden Park where Kaikoura fish and chip shop Coopers Catch was gifted naming rights to the national stadium for Bledisloe Cup week.

“We’ve learned, through our initiatives like Borrow the All Blacks, our support helps build awareness of the businesses involved. We launched the first range of Borrow the All Blacks ads back in September and in the first two weeks of the ads going live one business saw website traffic up 200% and another said customer numbers were up 20% on the same time last year.”

“And now, with the countdown to Christmas well and truly on, why wait. Visit the ASB virtual Christmas Marketplace to shop local and enjoy a range of special offers at www.asb.co.nz/christmas-marketplace. We can add businesses to it all the time, so if you are an ASB business customer and want to be involved, let us know,” says Mr Deane.