Rochester firm plays 'Easter Bunny' with campaign to support small businesses

A local creative agency took a yearly spring tradition to the internet this week, sending thousands of dollars to small businesses in the process.

Giftrochester.com, an online pop-up shop filled with Easter-basket themed goodies, sprung up on Monday afternoon via the Facebook page of the branding company White Space. All items were locally sourced, from Carroll’s Corn popcorn to art kits from Neon Green Studios.

White Space owner Sarah Miller said the physical limitations of self-quarantining led her team to think differently about the Easter basket tradition, as parents scramble to figure out their plans for the holiday.

“We are sitting on our computers and mobile devices for longer than ever because we’re quarantined, but we’re still ordering stuff,” said Miller, a mother of one. “We’re ordering stuff from Amazon, shopping online for groceries, Doordashing our food, so there’s no reason we can’t be thinking that way for other products.”

Miller said the idea came from a staff meeting last Friday and quickly came to life, with eight local businesses in all signing on by the time the site went live on Monday afternoon.

In less than 24 hours, customers had already spent $1,200 on different Easter basket items. By the end of the week, eggzactly 120 orders were placed — good for over $6,000 in revenue, divided up between the participating stores. (White Space didn’t take a penny.)

“I think we’re all like, ‘wow, the community really just stepped up and gave our local businesses that level of support,’” said Miller. “We feel so much gratitude toward the community, the people of Rochester, for putting their funds right back into those small businesses’ hands.”

If you bought products off of the website, Miller says the delivery and pick-up process will begin Saturday — ensuring each customer has their gifts in time for Easter morning.

Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.

Disclosure: Sarah Miller is the significant other of Med City Beat editor Sean Baker. Her nine-year-old son Landon took the photo attached to this article.