The promotion is an initiative of the Tamworth Business Chamber and Tamworth Regional Council, and is aimed at getting people to support local retailers by offering a raffle ticket to win a $20,000 car for every purchase of $30 or more.

Every Wednesday for 12 weeks a name will be drawn from the barrel and announced live on 88.9FM at 12.20pm, with two hours to call in and claim one of the 12 keys.

On December 5 the 12 lucky winners will test their keys at the lighting of the community Christmas tree in Fitzroy Street, with one of them driving away.

Chamber president Jye Segboer hopes that the promotion will get locals to change mindsets about online shopping, and drive up spending.

“We want people in the mindset of seeing what they will pay for an item online and then giving a local retailer the chance,” he said.

“Go in and see if they can help you at the same price, 95 per cent of the time they will, but they can also offer personal service and the little touches that go along with that – working the extra mile for customers.”

Mayor Col Murray said this year “has the potential to be one of the toughest retail Christmas’ the region has seen in a long long time.”

“This is a great initiative from the Chamber,” he said.

“It is a great way of supporting not only their members, but all those other retailers all over the region, including places like Barraba, Manilla and Kootingal as well as Tamworth.”

Penrose Butcher’s Tom Penrose hopes the promotion works to drive up spending, but also urges fellow retailers to play to their strengths.

“Hopefully this great initiative will get the community out and about and in stores,” he said.

“People still want to see what they are getting, and know that it is a quality product – every cent helps at the moment.”

Data is also being recorded throughout the campaign as the Chamber looks to set a benchmark to monitor similar promotions and spending in future years.

While the campaign kicked of on Monday retailers are still able to sign up by contacting the Chamber.