Shop Cordova First
Shop Cordova First!
Check out the info below to learn how to “Shop Cordova First!” & See all the resources and opportunities we have available to your business!
How We Support Shopping Cordova First
Tools for Shoppers
The Chamber’s Business Directory has a comprehensive list of member businesses and their info, located in one place for your convenience. So easy, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for!
Stop by and pick one up at the Visitor Center! With this list and the corresponding map, you’ll know just where to go for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and shopping. And the best part is, we’ve also included each business’s opening hours!! Yay!
Are you planning a trip or hosting an event in Cordova? Look no further we have the resources you’re looking for when planning a group event!
Did you know Cordova has a community Calendar where you can go to find out what’s going on around town? Catch up on all the local info about scheduled sales from local businesses, events, festivals, and all the other great stuff happening around town.
Come see us at the Visitor Center Mon-Fri 10 AM- 4 PM to check out our brochure rack filled with local businesses, ask questions about what to do in town, and get recommendations on where to eat and shop.
Passports give you the opportunity to win prizes for spending money in Cordova! Simply pick one up at the Visitor Center or Welcome table at one of our 3 passport events throughout the year, record all of your local spending, and turn it in by the due date to be entered to win a prize! For Every $20 of spending, you get 1 entry!
This helps us gauge the economic impact of our festivals and events!
Get a passport at:
- Shorebird Festival Welcome Table
- Fungus Festival Welcome Table
- For Moonlight Madness and Holiday shopping, get your passport at the Visitor Center!
Resources For Businesses
For Members:
We help shoppers find you by adding your business to the very popular printed seasonal Shopping & Dining Guide we give out at the Visitor Center. This guide contains your business name, opening hours, and a map leading straight to your door!
X marks the spot!
Bring in your menu, brochure, business card, recipes, and any other printed materials you want folks to know about to the Visitor Center!
Our website is often a first stop for visitors looking to come to Cordova. As a member, your business is listed in our online directory under your chosen categories!
NEW for 2023 members, there are no limits to how many categories you can list under!
When someone is planning a corporate meeting, business event, or large group trip in Cordova, they call the Chamber to ask for 3 things: catering, lodging, and tours. As a member, you’re included in that recommendation list!
Do you ever feel like you’re advertising for your sale or event as hard as you can, but you’re just not reaching people? Tag us in those posts, and we’ll share them with our audience to help you get the word out!
Did you know your 2023 membership gets you access to real life, in-person, practical business classes in Nov. 2022 & April 2023?
Don’t miss out on the next Business Empowerment Summit!
As a business owner, it’s essential to have easy access to knowledge of what’s going on around town, funding notices, announcements, news, and so much more. Your membership gets you access to these powerful emails 2xs a month!
You can even send us your announcements, and we’ll include them in the next email!
Ever been looking to share space with another business owner, feel like you need to contract out some work, wish you had someone to collaborate with? Come ask us about it! Odds are we know about someone else looking for those same things or info, and we can help connect you!
For All Businesses:
Add your own listing for a sale, event, or any other thing you feel the town should know about!
(We include these in our monthly & Bi-Monthly emails as well!)
We can all agree that Regular Ferry service to Cordova is an essential part of successful business in this town. At the Chamber, we are constantly advocating on Cordova’s behalf to continue regular service to our town.
We send out a monthly “All- Business” Email with town updates and links to free business resources!
Our website has a free Cordova Jobs board that any business can post to and advertise their job opening!
When an incoming expedition sized Cruise Ship lets us know they will be in town, we publish those date so that you can be aware and prepared for an influx of visitors.
We also post tips and tricks for cruise ship best practices and how to make the most out of their visits.
Opportunities for Businesses
For Members:
As a member you have acess to some really great advertising opportunities like:
- Cooperative Edible Alaska Ads
- Printed Ads in the Shopping & Ding Guide
- Local Events & Specials Advertising
- Clickable Website Ads
If you are a member whose business usually engages in local markets and vendor fairs, ask about which ones you can get a discount to participate in just by being a member!
Your membership also gets you first pick at any market the chamber hosts, such as the shorebird festival market, the holiday kickoff market, and the fungus festival market!
(At a discounted rate from what non-members would pay to participate!)
Running a small business can be really stressful when it comes to talent recruitment and retention. Let us help you get that competitive edge by enrolling in our member only Chamber Choice healthcare!
Click here to check it out!
Members are invited to list their festival events and tours on the official festival schedule. For paid events, we ask that festival registrants get a discount or that your event donate 10% back to the festival.
For All Businesses:
Join us for this Iconic Shop Cordova First Event by opening your doors late on Friday evening leading up to Christmas!
About the Campaign
The Cordova Chamber’s “Shop Cordova First” campaign began in 2015, utilizing nautically themed custom artwork and fun slogans to encourage residents and visitors to “anchor” their business in Cordova. One of the campaign’s signature materials, the Shop Cordova First reusable shopping bag was especially popular, and reminded local shoppers of the significance of supporting Cordova businesses. The campaign has expanded to include the Shop Cordova First Passport, Cordova Coupon Book, and Cordova Shopping & Dining Guide.
The branding recognizes that there are times when residents must shop outside of Cordova, but encourages them to give local merchants a shot at their business first because they are often willing to go the extra mile to serve customers. The program also emphasizes that ‘money spent here, stays here’ creating jobs, tax revenue and more. In Cordova, we are fortunate to have the support of local businesses not only providing jobs and services, but also supporting school groups, charitable organizations and other community groups that are the fabric of our lives. Every purchase made locally returns in multiples to the community.
Please do your part to keep Cordova as great as it is, and remember to Shop Cordova First whenever you can!