Wrapping up 2020 with the gift of supporting small businesses
SumUp partnered with its merchants to give all SumUppers a unique end-of-year gift. We sat with the project organisers and the merchants themselves for a behind-the-scenes look at the project and how it came together.
It’s not unusual for organisations to give back to their employees during the holiday season. Whether it be in the form of a mug or a simple greeting card, a small gesture can go a long way in the corporate world. This year, however, was unlike any other. With small merchants struggling to stay afloat and SumUppers working hard to support them, this year warranted a different kind of gift. One that not only said thanks but also gave hope — to both SumUppers and merchants alike.
We sat down with the organisers of this year’s gift — Meli Duarte, Internal Communications Manager, and Euge Viola, Employer Brand Lead — to learn more about how the project came to life. Afterwards, we were lucky enough to get a few words from our merchants themselves.
First things first, what is an “end-of-year” gift?
MD: It’s a way of saying thank you. Not everyone celebrates holidays like Christmas. We wanted the gesture to feel inclusive. The fact is, 2020 has been a tough year for everyone. This gift symbolises that we all got through it together.
EV: It’s a humble way to thank all our SumUppers for the amazing work they did during 2020. SumUppers come from over 60 nationalities. It’s important to us that everyone feels welcomed and included in all company celebrations.
What did SumUppers receive this year?
MD: Gift cards! But not just any. We gave SumUppers the opportunity to choose a gift card from a selection of SumUp merchants. Essentially, we were able to tackle two things at once — supporting our merchants while giving everyone the chance to pick a gift they really want.
How did you come up with the idea?
EV: I think it was quite a natural thing. We as a team — and I think all SumUppers- — are very conscious of how lucky we are to have a job in these tough times and how hard this year has been for all our merchants. We really wanted to use our gratitude to make a difference.
It’s pretty cool that you managed to give back to both SumUppers and small businesses simultaneously.
EV: It really is a win-win. Merchants can increase their sales during the second wave of lockdowns and SumUppers can pick a gift that’s right for them. With this option, everyone’s happy.
Did the gift have anything to do with SumUp’s mission, purpose or values?
EV: It’s not just related, it really represents our mission and one of our main values: We Care. We are a human-centric company and strive to support and collaborate with each other and our merchants. We try to not only make a big impact through our products but also with our actions as a company.
How did it all come together logistically?
MD: Thanks to our amazing colleagues! We first identified the ideal types of merchants, then reached out to the teams who work closely with the businesses that could put us in touch with them. We worked with merchants from all over the world to ensure that every SumUpper would have a local business to support. After ironing out the details with the merchants, we prepared all of the internal communication needed to announce the gift. It was finally announced in the end-of-year global all-hands meeting.
How did SumUppers respond upon receiving the gift?
MD: Oh the feedback was lovely. I received a lot of messages from different people, even from SumUppers that I haven’t had the chance to work with, expressing their gratitude.
There was also some constructive feedback. So I think even though every fine detail didn’t pan out as hoped, people saw the effort and value.
EV: People were thrilled! So much so that we plan to use this methodology for all future company gifts. The initiative proved that it was not only feasible but also made SumUppers and merchants very happy.
Speaking of merchants, let’s see what they had to say about the end-of-year gift. We sat down with Jakob from Berlin-based bag company Tiden, Kobi from Five Elephant coffee roasters, Petar from the Bulgarian online grocery store Gastronom and Ashley and Álvaro from the zero-waste shop, BioBunnies.
This year has been tough on small businesses. Has yours been impacted?
Tiden: We’ve had a lot of luck this year. We could still go to the Berlin markets from May to mid-December with our little self-built wooden booths. All our design markets around Germany were cancelled. But we could sell enough to pay our bills. The most important thing is to support each other and to take care of each other and to stay healthy. There are so many people who are homeless or without food. We’re so thankful.
Five Elephant: The lockdowns have definitely forced us to adapt quickly. Social interaction is an integral part of the coffee experience, so spending the better part of 2020 with socialising reduced to the bare minimum has made everyone involved in the coffee industry more reflective. Online sales have definitely increased, and we’ve interacted with a lot of new customers who were curious about improving the coffee they make at home. We were fortunate enough to be able to help many of them in their coffee exploration process.
Gastronom: Yes, we’ve had some delays due to the COVID situation. Honestly though, it hasn’t been too bad. We opened in November so it’s really only been this past month for us. We had plans to open in late summer, but that was delayed by a few months.
BioBunnies: Massively. Even though we have successfully grown our online presence and sales, being present at markets and events is an important source of income for our business. Many of our planned events were cancelled and with the recurring lockdowns, there was little room to plan anything.
How did you feel about getting involved with SumUp’s end-of-year gift project?
Tiden: We were really excited about this opportunity! We didn’t know how much we’d be able to sell this holiday season. The Christmas markets were cancelled. We never thought about gift cards for companies. In fact, we just started offering Tiden gift cards this year. We’re still so thankful and happy to have been given this chance!
Five Elephant: I was excited about it! I’m always happy to see customers who are new to our online store, and the fact that all of the SumUp staff already know our coffee makes the experience quite unique.
Gastronom: I was very glad to get this opportunity from the SumUp team in Bulgaria and reacted with a very open mind. I think it’s a nice initiative to offer different options to employees. This way, they can choose exactly what they want according to their needs. No need to feel obliged to use the same thing. Also, gift cards themselves are generally useful because they let you spend on your own time. We started offering gift cards right when we opened because, in our case, everyone needs grocery items quite regularly.
BioBunnies: We loved the idea! During these difficult times, it is always good to see that small businesses have not been forgotten and that we can count on the support from our business partner SumUp with these kinds of projects.
Have you already seen a positive impact?
Tiden: It helped ensure we can still go on with our business in 2021 because we didn’t know how online sales would be at the beginning of next year. It was also a great advertising opportunity for us. Now more people know about our company and maybe will order something in the future for their friends and families. Overall it’s been a great opportunity to support little businesses. So thank you!
Five Elephant: We’ve seen a lot of new customers come through, and a lot of them are not only ordering coffee but also coffee-making tools, such as grinders and pour-overs. It seems that a lot of the SumUp staff is really into making great coffee at home, so we’re excited to see how their journey with us evolves. We’d like to thank SumUp for working with us, and the SumUp staff for their incredible response. Here’s to a better year for all of us.
Gastronom: Actually, I was quite surprised. We started receiving orders right away after sending the gift cards to SumUppers. On the same day! I’d say about half of the recipients have already used theirs even though they are valid until the end of June. Most of them were excited to spend it right away.
BioBunnies: We were overwhelmed with the response and the interest of the SumUp employees on our selection of sustainable and eco-friendly products. With the last lockdown in November and the Christmas Markets being cancelled, we had already written off the holiday business. We’re happy to say that the EOY gift from SumUp has saved our Christmas Business. We from BioBunnies are very grateful and humbled that we were able to take part in this project. It was an amazing idea to support small businesses with these types of campaigns and advocates what SumUp is all about — empowering small businesses and helping them grow.
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After talking with the project organisers, merchants and SumUppers themselves, it’s safe to say that the end-of-year gift was a huge success. Not only did it stay true to our company mission, but it also brought hope in a time of great uncertainty. Something that a branded mug just can’t do.
A special thank you to all merchants and SumUppers involved in making this project come to life and for your contributions to this story.
