Dear Editor:
Stevens has received numerous inquiries from Hoboken’s merchants regarding its ‘Duck Bills’ program. Our thanks to the Reporter for helping us reach out to them and others who have seen Duck Bills stickers around town and wondered what they were about.
The Hoboken merchants’ Duck Bills program began in August 2003. The program allows and encourages our students to use funds on their Stevens ID cards (which work like debit cards) at participating off-campus merchants. (Students had previously used their ID cards only for on-campus purchases.) We are presently rolling out and working with Duck Bills’ IT providers to refine the system, and we anticipate having 20 Hoboken merchants in the program by this fall.
As one of Hoboken’s largest and longest-serving employers, Stevens understands that ‘spending locally’ significantly impacts the lives of many people who work and do business here. Even at this early stage of the program, we are seeing promising indications that Duck Bills are contributing to Hoboken’s economic resilience. Of the Duck Bills deposited in the system in the fall semester (about $526,000) almost half was spent at participating Hoboken merchants (the remainder was spent on campus). ‘Bagels on the Hudson’ owner Joseph Guido has said his sales have increased steadily since he started accepting Duck Bills. This seems to be the trend for our other early participants, and we are encouraged going forward. (Other early adopters of Duck Bills are Blimpie, Domino’s Pizza, Dunkin’ Donuts, Fresh Ideas – Kings, the Frozen Monkey Café, Qdoba Mexican Grill, the Chicken & Rib Crib, The Village Market and Take 3 Video.)
Hoboken is a small city, with only a few employers of size. How they and their employees choose to spend their money can be critical to the economic health of the city and its people. That is why we are sharing the early results of our Duck Bills initiative. Employers interested in emulating this program, or merchants interested in participating, can get more information from visiting www.duckbills.com or contacting me, Trina Ballantyne, at 201-216-5128.
Trina Ballantyne
Stevens Director of Residence Life
and Hoboken resident