WHILE many shoppers use the GMCU $25,000 Giveaway as an opportunity to support their favourite local stores, the competition is also a great excuse to explore somewhere new.
With around 140 participating businesses spread across Greater Shepparton and neighbouring communities, there are plenty of opportunities to discover a new café, browse a boutique you’ve never visited, try a different restaurant or find a local service provider that could become your new go-to.
Many shoppers stick to familiar routines, visiting the same stores week after week. But some of the region’s best businesses are often the ones hiding in plain sight, waiting to be discovered just around the corner or in a neighbouring town.
The Giveaway encourages people to think differently about where they shop, helping shine a spotlight on independent retailers, family-owned businesses and local operators that form the backbone of the region’s economy.
It’s also a chance to turn a day out into an adventure. Whether you’re heading to Kyabram, Tatura, Mooroopna, Nagambie, Numurkah, Cobram, Echuca or exploring a different part of Shepparton, you may stumble across a new favourite coffee spot, gift shop, restaurant or specialty retailer along the way.
And unlike online shopping, exploring local businesses often comes with something extra: friendly advice, personalised service and the satisfaction of knowing your money is helping support local jobs and communities.
This year’s GMCU $25,000 Giveaway could do more than put you in the running for a prize — it might just introduce you to a business you’ll keep coming back to long after the competition ends.
