Winning prizes for shopping local? That’s a win-win.

Local shoppers are invited to play Baton Rouge Bingo all month long for a chance to win exclusive prize bundles. TBR Books and Tea owner Jamie Freeman and Roz Fransen, owner of Baton Rouge Succulent Co., are co-organizers of the event that features 22 independent retailers across the city.

Bingo cards are available at each participating business, and stamps can be earned by shopping or sharing posts on social media.

“Shopping local puts money right back into our community and helps the people behind these small businesses keep doing what they love,” Franzen says. “Every share, post or word-of-mouth recommendation goes a long way for small businesses! It matters so much more than people realize.”

January and February tend to be slow months for retail as people’s wallets are still recovering from the holiday shopping season, Freeman says. “This was my first post-Christmas season as a retail operation, and it’s been rough! I figured it’s probably that way for a lot of other small businesses in Baton Rouge right now,” she adds.

The idea for Baton Rouge Bingo harks back to Freeman’s original goals when she opened TBR Books & Tea.

“We are right next door to BR Succulent Company, and Roz and I collaborate a lot,” Freeman says. “I wanted a way to bring that collaboration to a larger community and highlight some of the other small businesses that I know and love.”

Through March 31, shoppers can stop by participating businesses and earn stamps by visiting the stores on the card, and either making a purchase or posting about the business on their public social media feed and showing it to staff.

For more details, including a complete list of local shops participating, visit tbrbookshop.com/brbingo.

Learn more about TBR Books & Tea in this story from our archives.