Flags lowered in Honor of Firefighter Captain Joe Gallo
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The Lake Orion Village Council Meeting of 11-23-20
Oakland County Providing Free Home Delivery Grocery Service For Local Seniors
Oakland County Providing Free Home Delivery Grocery Service For Local Seniors To Limit Potential Exposure To COVID-19
Pontiac, Michigan – Oakland County is providing a free home delivery grocery service membership for senior adults throughout the county that limits their exposure to COVID-19 by allowing them to shop for daily essentials without leaving their homes.
The service is through Shipt, which normally costs $99 annually. It gives Oakland County seniors age 60 and over the convenience and safety of shopping for food, pet supplies and household essentials online and have free same-day home delivery from a variety of local stores. Only the delivery is free. The ordered items must be paid for online using a credit or debit card.
“The number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase locally and we all must do our part to help stop the spread of the virus,” Oakland County Executive David Coulter said. “Many seniors may be reluctant to leave their homes and may not be getting the fresh and heathy foods they need, especially on colder days. This program allows our senior residents to receive essential food and grocery items safely in their homes without risking the possible exposure to the coronavirus and the flu.”
Shipt is a service that shops for you and then safely delivers the groceries and household essentials direct to your door. This can include refrigerated foods, pet supplies or simple household essentials that you would normally find at a local grocery store.
This annual membership is free of charge to Oakland County senior residents who are aged 60 or older and offers unlimited, same-day grocery delivery. Please note that you must pay for the items that you order, but delivery will be free of charge with this membership. The free memberships are provided on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
Interested residents must sign up by December 10 at www.oakgov.com/covid/grants/shipt to receive a registration code and redeem it by December 20. The membership entitles you to free delivery for orders over $35. A $7 delivery fee is added if the order total is less than $35. The buyer must provide Shipt with credit card information to process payment as well as taxes and optional gratuities.
Seniors who don’t have computer access can register with the help of a family member. The account must be in the senior’s name and the address for delivery must be in Oakland County. Any family member that you trust can help you sign up for and manage your Shipt account, arrange orders and schedule deliveries.
Seniors who live in the following zip codes are not in the Shipt delivery areas due to lack of available vendors: 48178 – South Lyon Charter Township; 48462 – Brandon Township; 48367 – Addison, Lakeville, Leonard; and 48442 – Highland Township.
If you live in one of these areas, there may be options for delivery or pick up from local stores such as Kroger, Meijer, Walmart or Target or you can contact Shipt directly at www.help.shipt.com or [email protected] for further clarification.
Complete information on the program is found at www.oakgov.com/covid/grants/shipt. Registration assistance is available by calling the Oakland County Help Hotline weekdays from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at 248-858-1000.
Leaders Urge Shoppers To Support ‘Shop Small Saturday’ On Nov. 28
Oakland County Leaders Urge Shoppers To Support ‘Shop Small Saturday’ On Nov. 28 To Help Small Businesses Survive Pandemic While Maintaining COVID-19 Safety Protocols
Pontiac, Michigan – Oakland County Executive David Coulter, retailers and civic leaders across Oakland County are appealing to shoppers that they can safely support small businesses in their communities this holiday season by participating in “Shop Small Saturday” on November 28 and continuing to shop locally the rest of the year.
Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses and communities across the country. Founded by American Express (Amex), it is celebrated each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Since it started in 2010, consumers have reported spending an estimated $120 billion across all 10 Small Business Saturdays combined. That total includes an estimated 110 million people who participated in Small Business Saturday last year, generating record-setting sales with an estimated $19.6 billion in reported spending, based on Amex research.
“It’s exciting to see Oakland County merchants joining the nationwide Shop Small movement to celebrate small businesses on Saturday and every day,” Coulter said. “Customers who patronize our downtown shopping districts are helping them to thrive and stay vibrant – Oakland County’s mantra is shop local, eat local and spend local.”
The appeal by Oakland County leaders comes as public health officials advise in-store shoppers to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a face covering, washing hands regularly and maintaining a safe social distance.
Customers may also want to consider pursuing outdoor deliveries via curbside pickup, ordering online, shopping in-store before and after peak hours, and calling stores beforehand to ask if a clerk will video chat with you. More information about covid-related safety measures in Oakland County is at: www.oakgov.com/covid.
According to the Amex-commissioned Small Business Economic Impact Study, 62% of U.S. small businesses with fewer than 100 employees need to see consumer spending return to pre-COVID levels by the end of 2020 in order to stay in business.
“Even as we all work together to end the spread of COVID-19, consumers can still play a key role in helping Oakland County’s small businesses succeed and emerge from COVID,” said Main Street Oakland County Principal Planner John Bry.
Bry serves as the main contact between Oakland County and the 22 communities that comprise Main Street Oakland County, which is the only full-service, county-level Main Street program in the United States and the oldest Main Street program in Michigan.
“By shopping safely in the store or online, or getting takeout dining in your community, you’re demonstrating support for the small businesses in your neighborhood and in the community, you are proud to call home,” said Bry.
Retailers in Oakland County are successfully reassessing their business models during COVID-19, such as improving their online presence and shopping platforms, according to the 35th Oakland County Economic Outlook Summary released in September.
Holiday shopping is always a huge economic driver for retail, with many stores saying it can account for one-third of their annual revenue, the report noted.
While many stores were hurt by the lack of back-to-school shopping, their second-busiest season, retailers throughout the region are starting the holiday season early, such as by adding inventory earlier, analysts said.
Michigan consumers have been spending more than those in any other state in the nation since the pandemic, the Michigan Retailers Association (MRA) reports. Statewide, consumer spending recovered to its pre-pandemic levels by the end of May, MRA data shows.
For more information on downtown holiday activities in Oakland County, visit:
Auburn Hills:
https://www.facebook.com/DowntownAuburnHills
Berkley:
https://downtownberkley.com/merrimonth-in-downtown-berkley
https://www.facebook.com/DowntownBerkley
Birmingham:
https://www.facebook.com/BirminghamShoppingDistrict
https://www.allinbirmingham.com/
Clarkston:
No report at this time
Clawson:
https://www.facebook.com/downtownclawson
https://www.downtownclawson.com/
Farmington:
https://www.downtownfarmington.org/downtown_events/index.php
https://www.facebook.com/DowntownFarmington
Ferndale:
https://downtownferndale.com/
www.unboxtheholidays.com
Franklin:
https://www.facebook.com/mainstreetfranklinmi
Highland:
https://www.facebook.com/HighlandDDA
https://www.highlanddda.com/
Holly:
https://www.facebook.com/MainStreetHolly
https://www.mainstreetholly.com/
Lake Orion:
https://www.facebook.com/LakeOrionDDA
https://downtownlakeorion.org/events/
Lathrup Village:
http://www.lathrupvillage.org/departments/dda_events.php
Madison Heights:
https://www.facebook.com/ddamadisonheights/
Ortonville:
https://www.facebook.com/ortonvillemi
https://ortonvilledda.org/
Oxford:
https://www.facebook.com/DowntownOxford/
https://www.thevillageofoxford.org/downtown_life/events/index.php
Pontiac:
http://mainstreetpontiac.org/#/events/
https://www.facebook.com/DowntownPontiac
Rochester:
https://www.facebook.com/downtown.rochester
https://www.downtownrochestermi.com/
Royal Oak:
https://www.romi.gov/101/Downtown
South Lyon:
https://www.facebook.com/downtownsouthlyon
Wixom:
https://www.facebook.com/downtownwixom
https://www.wixomgov.org/business/downtown-development-authority/sip-n-stroll-ladies-night-out
For media inquiries only, please contact Bill Mullan, Oakland County media and communications officer, at 248-858-1048.
MI Retailers Association Urging Consumers to Shop as Normal
MDARD, MI Retailers Association and Meijer Urging Consumers to Shop as Normal
Overbuying and stockpiling may cause supply chain ripple effects
MEDIA CONTACTS: Jennifer Holton, MDARD, 517-284-5724, Meegan Holland, MI Retailers Association, 517-721-9009
LANSING, MICH. – Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Gary McDowell, Michigan Retailers Association CEO William Hallan and Meijer CEO Todd Weer, Senior Vice President of Stores today responded to news that consumers may be buying larger quantities than necessary at the stores.
“Michigan has an ample supply of food products and other items. But, when shoppers panic buy products like toilet paper, paper towel and other items, it creates a ripple effect within the supply chain,” said McDowell. “Buying what your household will use for the week keeps the supply chain moving, ensures everyone has access to what they need and allows the stores to replenish shelves for your next shopping trip.”
According to McDowell, COVID-19 has changed everything about how people come together, especially with the holidays right around the corner.
“The impact of this pandemic has not been easy, and it is not over as we see rampant community spread,” he added. “One thing we can all do to help each other during this time is buying only what you need. This ensures your friends and neighbors have access to food and other necessary products during this pandemic.”
Signaling evidence of consumers starting to panic shop at levels first seen during the early months of the pandemic, Michigan Retailers Association President and CEO William Hallan urges Michiganders to limit purchases to a week’s worth of supply.
“Retailers across the state continue to work hard to restore and maintain product levels in stores to meet the demand in communities,” said Hallan. “Consumers need to know that stores, particularly grocery stores, will remain open. Consumers should plan for essentials in weekly increments to ensure that supply levels remain steady over the next few weeks. As retailers continue to do their part to keep retail environments safe to shop, we are asking consumers to do their part by limiting quantities to ensure there is enough for everyone.”
If consumers are leery about shopping in person, Hallan encourages consumers to consider using services like curbside pick-up and home delivery.
Meijer, which has 120 Supercenters and grocery stores throughout the State of Michigan, continues to focus on keeping ample supply for its customers.
“Our goal is to have everything our customers need, and our supply chain and store teams are working very hard to keep our shelves stocked during these busy times,” said Todd Weer, Senior Vice President of stores for Meijer. “As long as shoppers buy the number of items they normally would, then everyone should be able to check off the items on their grocery list when they visit the store.”
Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.