Newberg Finds App Helps Users Discover Downtown Deals

NEWBERG, Ore. — A newly launched app created by local game designer Raymond Wade is helping Newberg residents and visitors discover businesses, attractions, and events around town by offering discounts and promotions.

Newberg Finds, available for free on both iOS and Android, features a collection of offers from local businesses, services, and eateries. Users can scroll through nearly 50 deals, ranging from 10% off a purchase to free tote bags to featured local events.

“It’s open to any business in Newberg and neighboring towns right now,” Wade said. “The goal is just to build a connection and support our neighbors and business owners.”

Wade, a mobile game designer, said the idea came to him while dining at Storrs Smokehouse. He and his mother are frequent antiquers, drawn in large part by the deals they find in local shops. 

As they walked around downtown, Wade realized they often passed by businesses simply because they were headed somewhere specific.

“Newberg is really this picture-perfect anomaly,” he said. “You’ve got an old town and a new town, you’ve got the college and all the businesses that cater to them, you’ve got the wine tasters and the popularity of the area’s wine scene. I felt it would be great to have one app to connect them all through discounts.”

While eating, Wade called over Storrs Smokehouse owner Ashlin Elwood.

“I was more thinking out loud. I asked him pretty casually what he thought about the idea,” Wade said. “He said he didn’t really know how it would do because there isn’t anything like it right now, but it was worth a shot.”

Elwood offered to be the first business to participate, listing a deal for $1 off mac and cheese and 10% off a full rack of ribs.

“I think it’s a fun idea,” Elwood said. “These days, with how expensive everything is, people are less likely to go out. If this nudge can be the difference between someone supporting a local business or not, I think it’s worth testing out.”

Wade’s background in mobile gaming made him well-suited to create the app. His career has focused on developing mobile games, including titles for SpongeBob SquarePants, Disney’s Cars, Club Penguin, and most recently, Soma Games’ Redwall: The Scout and Feast & Friends.

He contracted a developer and began building wireframes for what would become Newberg Finds. In the meantime, he connected with local businesses through the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce to gauge interest.

“We got a really good response,” he said. “Businesses want a connection with their local customers, and right now people have to have 20 different apps to do that.”

Still, Wade started second-guessing the project about three months in.

“I kept asking my friends, ‘Would you actually use this?’” he said. “There was a lot of second-guessing on whether this was something I wanted to spend my time on. I felt like it needed something else to stand out.”

That’s when Wade leaned on his experience in the gaming industry and decided to add a gamified element. His hope is that people will earn badges and rewards for consistently engaging with local businesses through the app.

“In the video game industry, we call it ‘find the fun,’” he said. “Part of the fun is finding the discounts, but then the other part is completing daily challenges that help earn achievements.”

The app currently includes one low-fidelity gamified feature, highlighted at the top of its photo carousel: the “Where Am I” game. Users view a photo taken at a Newberg location and, once they identify it, email info@newbergfinds.com with their guess. If correct, they earn a $10 gift card to Luckee Dutch Bakery.

Elwood said he hopes the app gains traction in Newberg and the surrounding area, not just to encourage shopping locally but to strengthen collaboration among businesses.

“Of course, the main goal is to get people to come in the door,” Elwood said. “But also, I see it as a chance to work with my neighboring businesses—maybe working on some promotions together and collaborating.”

Wade launched the app with a trial period, during which he is not charging businesses to be listed, only requiring them to offer a discount. In the future, he hopes the app becomes a valuable enough marketing tool that he can charge for listings and featured placements.

Users can download the app for free from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Businesses interested in joining can email business@newbergfinds.com. To learn more, visit the Newberg Finds website.

Disclosure: Newsberg is currently listed as a business on the Newberg Finds app. This listing was added by the app developer. Newsberg did not pay for placement and is not affiliated with the app.