By Mary Alice Scott
This is the month in which the “buy local” message gets discussed the most – and with good reason. For many retailers, this is the busiest month of the year. For some, this is the time of year to make sure that bills are paid and to tide them over until the seasons change once again.
Shift Local – Just 10% changes everything
Did you know that 76% more of your money stays right here in our community when you buy from a locally owned, independent business?
In fact, if everyone in Cumberland County shifted just 10% of their purchases from national chains to locally owned businesses, it would generate an additional $127 million in local economic activity and generate an additional 874 jobs.
When you support a local business, you’re doing more than supporting your neighbor’s dream and livelihood—you’re strengthening our whole community. Check out our gift guide in this copy of The West End News to view dozens of local gift options and get inspired! The online version (www.portlandgiftguide.com) has a few extra gift ideas, so be sure to visit it, too!
If you’re shopping for gifts at the last minute, we recommend local gift cards!
The gift card is sometimes seen as a careless gift, but by giving a gift card to a local business that suits the wishes of the giftee, you can demonstrate thoughtfulness and caring – for your loved one and for our local business community!
Now, here are our shop local tips:
- Buy directly from a local business and make your purchases SOON to help reduce holiday shopping (and shipping!) bottlenecks.
- Be merry! Staff at local businesses are stretched thin these days. So be kind and patient. They’ll really appreciate it!
- Show your support! Sharing information about the local businesses you love is a great way to help those businesses connect with new customers. Or just like and share their posts on their social media pages!
Thank you for supporting our local business community this holiday season!
We all hope that the coming year will be easier – in every way – than the last 18 months have been. But for now, the crisis continues for local businesses. The challenges they face today look very different than they did in the spring of 2020, but local businesses still need your support to get by. Thank you for taking the time to shop local and support the local businesses that give our community its unique flavor!
Mary Alice Scott is Executive Director of Portland Buy Local. The West End News is a Portland Buy Local member and media partner.
