Tis the season to #WrapTheGood: BMO Expands Gift Wrap Initiative to Support Women-owned Businesses across North America

• Custom holiday wrapping paper and decorative ornament doubles as ad space to support financial progress of women-owned businesses
• #WraptheGood expanded to include women-owned businesses in the United States and Quebec

CHICAGO, Dec. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - As part of BMO's longstanding commitment to support the financial progress of women-owned businesses, its #WraptheGood campaign is back and better than ever with festive wrapping paper and a decorative ornament that doubles as ad space for women-owned businesses. Available at select BMO branches and participating small businesses across North America, the program helps put more products from these businesses under the tree this holiday season. This year, the initiative is being expanded to include businesses in both the United States and Quebec.

The colorful paper features images of dozens of gifts, and new this year is "The Shoppable Ornament," a tree decoration in the form of a miniature catalogue. Its pages highlight hundreds of different products from participating businesses, accompanied by a QR code linking to their website's product page for purchase. The catalogue's final page drives to a full Pinterest board enabling consumers to explore further gift ideas from all the participating vendors. The paper will be distributed at select BMO branches and participating women-owned businesses, and the ornament will be on display at select BMO locations.

"The #WrapTheGood program once again demonstrates BMO's commitment to ensuring that women-owned businesses, which are crucial to the communities we serve, are presented with every opportunity to succeed," said Niamh Kristufek, Head, U.S. Business Banking, BMO. "From drops in revenue to job loss, women and women-owned businesses were hit hard by the pandemic, which is why initiatives like #WrapTheGood are so essential. The extension of last year's campaign to the U.S. is yet another example of BMO's commitment to ensuring these businesses are set up to succeed and make real financial progress."

#WrapTheGood is another way BMO is proving its commitment to women-owned businesses through programs including the BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program?which in February will announce $150,000 in grants for 12 women-owned businesses to accelerate their growth.

Women-owned U.S. businesses featured in this year's gift guide include The Botanical Bar, Chet and Leona's, Coquelicot Gallery and Café, Dionne Grayson Books, The GameBoard, Love Peridot, Moonlit Crab, Not Your Mama's Tea, Planting People Growing Justice, Sally's Nuts, Scents & Such, Slow Foods Kitchen, Sola's Butters, StudioRoom 1023, Tagg'd by Tasia, Viva Wellness, and Wicked Cowgirl.

The #WraptheGood program was conceived by BMO and its creative agency, FCB Canada.

Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider - the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America. With total assets of $1.14 trillion as of October 31, 2022, and a team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group