Expanding Built Oregon’s reach to build a stronger small business community

It was an opportunity we just couldn’t pass up.

For the past two years, we’ve been a sponsor of Little Boxes, a Portland retail business promotion that takes the form of a raffle on the shopping days immediately following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday. For local retailers, it’s become an anticipated annual promotion, pulling 230 companies together under a common banner of collective promotion that generates economic benefits for everyone involved.

Following the birth of their first child and the growth of their jewelry business, Betsy Cross and Will Cervarich — co-founders of Little Boxes and co-owners of Portland jewelry maker betsy & iya — realized that they couldn’t give the event or the accompanying application the attention they deserved. So they sought out someone to take over the effort.

That’s where Built Oregon stepped in.

We had repeatedly sponsored Little Boxes because we found it a compelling and engaging representation of the same ideals we hold for Built Oregon. Our partnership furthered our continuing mission to help build and cultivate vibrant economic communities throughout the state’s consumer product ecosystem. So when the opportunity arose, it made perfect business and cultural sense for Built Oregon to acquire Betsy and Will’s interest in Little Boxes.

Today, we’re proud to launch the 2017 Built Oregon Little Boxes promotion. And honestly, not much has changed. The application looks very much the same as it has in past years — with a few new bells and whistles based on feedback we’ve received from past retail and consumer participants.

Here are a few of the changes we hope you’ll love as much as we do…

• First, we’re making it a three day event, extending from November 24th through the 26th. Also, we’re adding additional value for all of the participating retailers via some data and app enhancements.
• Second, we’re going to ramp up the promotional activity and consumer outreach to get more even shoppers to visiting even more local retailers on those 3 days.
• Third, we have assembled an awesome dedicated team to ensure we give the promotions and the application the support it deserves — all while providing a fun, fantastic, and profitable experience for the retailers and shoppers.

But we’re not stopping there. This is only the beginning of Built Oregon’s effort around Little Boxes. We see this effort as an opportunity to expand our reach throughout Oregon, building stronger small business communities in every region of the state. Even better? Little Boxes won’t just be relegated to holiday shopping. Stay tuned for more in 2018.

In the meantime, if you’re a Little Box retailer in Portland, we look forward to working with you to make 2017 your best holiday season ever. And if you are a shopper, download the app, mark your calendars, and get ready to exploring Portland neighborhoods with friends and family, and supporting local small businesses that are the lifeblood of our state’s economy — plus the opportunity to win some extra gifts, this season.

We’re proud to have this opportunity to continue the legacy started by Betsy and Will to support Portland small businesses, and we’ll see you in the stores this November!