One of the fundamental tenets of the Merchants of Sturbridge is that of Shopping and Buying Locally. To the end the Merchants of Sturbridge have introduced the 6.25 discount card which entitles card holders to a 6.25% discount at nearly 40 participating locations. These cards make great stocking stuffers for the holidays and are valid until December 31, 2010. They can be purchased at several locations in town (The Brier Patch Designs, The Visitor Center, The Bird Store and More, and the Sturbridge Scrapping Corner). More information is available at www.merchantsofsturbridge.com.
Below are stories of two Buy Local programs, one in Providence R.I., the other in Portland, ME. In reading them, simply substitute the name Sturbridge where the sponsoring towns are listed and consider the impact we can all have by Shopping and Buying Locally.
‘Buy Local’ campaigns help fight bad economy (Worcester Telegram & Gazette - Sunday, 12-06-09)
By Michelle R. Smith THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PROVIDENCE — A lot of things have helped Deb Dormody and her partners turn their annual holiday crafts show, Craftland, into a year-round permanent store: a growing appreciation for handmade, unique goods, a desire to support the arts, and — surprisingly — the bad economy, which she says has pushed people to examine how they spend their money.
“People can feel really good about what they’re purchasing,” she said. “Being able to say to the recipient … ‘I know the person who made this. This person lives here in town.’ ”
Providence is among many cities and states that are pushing a “buy local” philosophy this holiday season, with Mayor David Cicilline saying the businesses are critical to the economy of the city, capital of a state where unemployment stands at 12.9 percent. New Mexico Gov. William B. Richardson urged residents of his state to spend $25 at each of two local stores this month, saying it could have a $27 million economic impact, and cities including Cambridge and Somerville, Mass., and Portland, Maine, have similar pushes.
A survey of independent retailers earlier this year by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance found that independent stores in cities with Buy Local campaigns saw a 3.2 percent drop in holiday sales last year, compared with a 5.6 percent drop in cities without one.
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A second and fairly comprehensive program, is one on Portland Me sponsored by the Portland Independent Business and Community Alliance
Why Support Locally Owned Businesses?
Our top ten reasons! You can also download this as a PDF flyer that you can print and distribute.
1. KEEP DOLLARS IN PORTLAND'S ECONOMY
For every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $45 stays in the local economy, creating jobs and expanding the city's tax base. For every $100 spent at a national chain or franchise store, only $14 remains in the community.[1]
2. EMBRACE WHAT MAKES PORTLAND UNIQUE
Portland is a city of neighborhoods. Where we shop, where we eat and hang out—all of it makes our neighborhood home. Chain stores are growing more aggressive throughout Portland and threatening to change the unique character of our city. One-of-a-kind, independent businesses are an integral part of what makes Portland a great place to live.
3. FOSTER LOCAL JOB CREATION
Studies show that locally owned businesses create more jobs locally and, in some sectors, provide better wages and benefits than national chains. [2]
4. HELP THE ENVIRONMENT
Local business owners tend to set up shop downtown and in walkable neighborhood business districts, rather than developing on the city's fringe or in suburban strip malls accessible only by automobile. Having a diverse array of businesses within walking or biking distance reduces the amount of driving Portland residents must do to shop for goods and services. It also helps to conserve land, limit sprawl and lessen traffic and air pollution.
5. NURTURE COMMUNITY
Independent businesses are owned by people who live in this community and are committed to investing in Portland's future. Studies have found that locally owned businesses contribute more than twice as much of their revenue to charitable causes as corporate chains do. And advocates of local causes find that local business owners are generally much more accessible than executives of large corporations based in other states. [3]
6. CONSERVE YOUR TAX DOLLARS
Small neighborhood and downtown businesses require less public infrastructure and make more efficient use of city services compared to sprawling big-box stores and shopping centers, which are far more costly in terms of road work and police services, according to studies. [4]
7. HAVE MORE CHOICES
A marketplace of thousands of small businesses helps to ensure more innovation and competition, and lower prices over the long term. Independent businesses, choosing products based on what their local customers need and desire, not a national sales plan, guarantees a more diverse range of product and service choices.
8. BENEFIT FROM LOCAL OWNERS' EXPERTISE
Local business owners and employees often possess a level of expertise and a passion for the products they sell that is unmatched by employees and managers of national chains. They also tend to have a greater interest in getting to know their customers—who are, after all, also their neighbors. Simply put, local owners and employees take a special pride in their trade.
9. PRESERVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Entrepreneurship fuels America's economic innovation and prosperity, and serves as a key means for families to move out of low-wage jobs and into the middle class. Plus, the success of locally owned, independent businesses provides real-life inspiration to our young people, proving that they can stay in Maine and prosper on their own terms.
10. ENSURE PORTLAND STANDS OUT FROM THE CROWD
In an increasingly homogenized world, communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character are more likely to attract entrepreneurs and new investment. Portlanders place a high value on individuality and consider our homegrown enterprises a source of pride. They are also an attraction to visitors.
[1] Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Friends of Midcoast Maine, "The Economic Impact of Locally Owned Businesses vs. Chains: A Case Study in Midcoast Maine," Sept. 2003.
[2] Civic Economics,"The Andersonville Study of Retail Economics," October 2004; Civic Economics, "Economic Impact Analysis: A Case Study," December 2002; David Neumark, Junfu Zhang, and Stephen Ciccarella, "The Effects of Wal-Mart on Local Labor Markets," Public Policy Institute of California, April 2006; Arindrajit Dube, Barry Eidlin, and Bill Lester, "Impact of Wal-Mart Growth on Earnings throughout the Retail Sector in Urban and Rural Counties," Institute of Industrial Relations Working Paper Series, 2005.
[3] Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Friends of Midcoast Maine, "The Economic Impact of Locally Owned Businesses vs. Chains: A Case Study in Midcoast Maine," Sept. 2003; Patricia Frishkoff, Business Contributions to Community Service, Small Business Administration, 1991.
[4] Randall Gross, Development Economics, "Understanding the Fiscal Impacts of Land Use in Ohio," August 2004; Tischler & Associates, "Fiscal Impact Analysis of Residential and Nonresidential Land Use Prototypes," July 2002.
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