Doylestown Small Business Drawing National Backlash For Offering Discount If Shoppers Show COVID-19 Vaccination Card
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- A Bucks County business owner says she's received national backlash for offering 10% off for showing your COVID-19 vaccination card.
Donna Gouldey started Allora Gifts and Home Decor in January 2019, never imagining what was in store for her business when COVID shut down life as we all knew it 14 months later.
"Two weeks turned into a month, two months, three months," Gouldey said.
One year later and to mark how far we've come, Gouldey decided to offer a 10% discount for those who showed their COVID vaccination card.
"Really honoring the essential and frontline workers, senior citizens, people at high risk," Gouldey said.
She was shocked to read post after post on Facebook from those calling the discount discrimination.
"Wow!! Such discrimination. Thank you for showing you are against freedom," one comment read.
"I won't be shopping at your store anymore… Thanks for showing your true colors," Gouldey read.
"It's never a good feeling to hear someone will not come in here," she said.
Nevertheless, Gouldey is standing by her promotion.
"It is like a military discount, it is like a senior citizen discount, it's like a ladies' night at a bar," she said.
Gouldey says it's doing its job bringing customers back when every dollar matters so much to small businesses everywhere.
"Sales are up 100%. It's been amazing," she said.
Gouldey says it's paying off where it really matters.
"People from far away are calling up and placing orders from California, saying they appreciate what I'm doing and that's amazing," she said.
CBS3's Alicia Roberts reports.
