News

Friday, March 9, 2007
Over $50,000 Sold!
Since the launch of Shop Arlington First gift certificate program in April of 2004, more than $50,000 certificates have been purchased and more than 60% have been redeemed. In 2006, RCN was the presenting sponsor for Shop Arlington First Lights with special events and promotions at participating locations in East Arlington, the Center and the Heights. For more details, visit the Shop Arlington First home page.

News Archive

Thursday, April 14, 2005
Programs Keep $$ in Town
By Les Masterson, Arlington Advocate

Having trouble not knowing what to get Uncle Floyd? Don't have a clue as to what to buy Junior's teacher and Little League coach? There is now an easy alternative.

(Read More)

SA1st Trivia Contest!
Tuesday, April 12, 2005

What better way to launch Shop Arlington First™ than to hold a trivia contest so you can learn interesting and even surprising facts about more than 80 businesses that help make Arlington such a vibrant community. If you take up this challenge, your goal is to correctly answer as many of the questions as you can. Here are the rules:

• Anyone can play. Make it a family event!
  
• Inside you’ll find a Trivia Contest Form on which you must legibly print your answers. If we can’t read the writing, it won’t count!
  
• You can use the form as a self-mailer. Fold it in thirds, tape it closed and mail it. Completed entries must be postmarked no later than Saturday, April 23, or be hand-delivered to the Chamber by 3:00pm on Friday, April 22.

The Chamber will award four prizes—SA1st gift certificates, of course! The person who answers the most trivia correctly will win $100. We will also have one-$50 prize and two-$25 prizes as well. If more than one person ties for first place, the names will be entered in a drawing for the prizes. Winners will be announced on the Shop Arlington First website and The Arlington Advocate

Download the Trivia Questions! (PDF - 1.5 MB)
Download the Answer Form (PDF - 100 K)

SA1st Takes Off!
Friday, April 8, 2005

If you drove by the Chamber this morning around 9:15, you would have seen a crowd of Sa1sters gathered 'round the SA1st giant check for a photo op. Braving a chilly spring morning were our sponsors Leader Bank and The Arlington Shopper, along with participants: Ann Murray, LCMT, Arlington Center for the Arts, A-Skin Care Salon, Cambridge Savings Bank, Careful Carriers, Citizens Bank, Coyote Impressions, Crossroads Trade, eScotto.net, Flora, Jacki Sorensen's Aerobic Dancing, Swanson Jewelers and The Arlington Advocate. Look for the feature in The Advocate next Thursday. By Saturday, the www.sa1st will be completely updated.

Shop Arlington First Soft Launches Tomorrow
Friday, April 8, 2005

It's official! We have 83 SA1sters participating in Shop Arlington First™, the Chamber's initiative to promote local commerce. Why this program? A bustling downtown fosters a vibrant community. We want residents to think of Arlington first when they spend their shopping dollars. A Shop Arlington First gift certificate will be redeemable at participating businesses listed on the folder insert that will accompany every certificate. When you visit www.sa1st.com, you will be able to view a complete list of businesses where you can redeem them. When you give a SA1st gift certificate, not only are you giving the gift of choice you are also supporting Arlington. Certificates go on sale during Shop Arlington First Week launching April 16.

Tomorrow from 10am-12pm, Leader Bank and the Chamber will be out front on the Jefferson Cutter House lawn giving away SA1st goody bags-35 members contributed coupons and/or small items!-along with the Trivia Contest as families gather to take part in Activate Arlington's Moving Day. We will also be giving out bottled water and fresh oranges generously donated by Chamber member Johnny's Foodmaster.

SA1st Hits 82 Participants
Thursday, March 31, 2005

I just want to give you an update on SA1st. As of today, we have 82 participants. We launch Shop Arlington First Week on April 16. That's when the checks will go on sale and the trivia contest officially begins.

In progress
The checks and the folders with inserts are at the printers. Denise Donlan of MVS Publising/Arlington Shopper is designing our 1/8 page ad that will appear in all five Shoppers. Tom Scotto of eScotto.net is hard at work on the SA1st web site ( www.ShopArlingtonFirst.com) and in the next few days the entire list of SA1sters with their contact info will be on the site.

The Website is Launched
Friday, March 4, 2005

Thanks to Tom Scotto of eScotto.net, our web site is up and running with a first page. Get the first look at the Chamber's local commerce initiative sponsored by Leader Bank and our media sponsor The Arlington Shopper. Check out our logo and web site designed by Tom and to see who our first SA1st participants are! Be on the look out for a SA1st letter and application in your mailbox next week. Or if you can't wait, early next week you'll be able to print out a PDF file of the application so you can get in on the action ( and be listed there!) too.