Dear Member,
The retail sector in Luxembourg continues to suffer very hard times with the closure of many wonderful businesses and many job losses. Many retail companies we have talked with have indicated they urgently need foot traffic into their stores and greater customer activity to survive.
Likewise, most companies throughout the Luxembourg economy are also struggling and the result this year is lower profits and therefore less money available for salary increases and bonuses.
These difficult business circumstances have gotten us in AMCHAM wondering what can we do to help?
- How can AMCHAM help retail stores which don’t have money to advertise get more foot traffic and business into their establishments with customers motivated to buy?
- How can AMCHAM help companies cost effectively give an additional benefit to thank their employees for all they are doing during this difficult period when money for bonuses and pay raises is very limited?
- How can AMCHAM help employees get more purchasing power from their monthly salaries when their incomes are not growing?
After some serious brainstorming discussions amongst ourselves and with retail establishments, the AMCHAM.lu team has decided to launch an AMCHAM Member Benefits Club (AMBC) program. Our idea has been to invite high quality retailers and restaurants to become partners with AMCHAM (without paying any fees to AMCHAM) on condition these retail establishments and restaurants agree to give a minimum 10% discount to AMCHAM affiliated persons who show up with a personalized AMCHAM Member Benefits Club (AMBC) card. We have had a great response to this idea with over 150 high quality retailers and restaurants already signed up as partners and all agreeing to give at least a 10% Discount to our members. We hope to have many more good retailers and restaurants join us over time. If you know a good quality retail establishment or restaurant who would benefit from this program, please introduce them to us!
In turn, we have done an internal budget review and reprogramed funds to pay the cost for offering this program as a public service initiative to help/support the relaunch of the retail sector economy. We offer to AMCHAM member organizations a specific defined number of free MBC cards (with the number of free cards depending on the category of membership of the organization, and with the possibility to purchase additional cards for the rest of their employees along with cards for spouses/partners, at a very nominal cost of only 10 euro per card).
Please see the complete details on this program and how it will work in the other articles published in this Newsletter. If you are an employee of an AMCHAM member, please get your AMBC members card by having your company contact: jorge@amcham.lu, mbc@amcham.lu or sonja@amcham.lu. If you and your company are not yet AMCHAM members, please first join AMCHAM by contacting: daniel@amcham.lu, sonja@amcham.lu. If you need any help, contact us and we will help work things out!
We are only strong as a society and country if we are united and support one another. As we proudly say in Luxembourg: Let’s make it happen!
With respect and very best wishes,
Paul
Paul Michael Schonenberg
Chairman and CEO
AMCHAM.lu
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