buy local campaigns do help

Although dsmBUZZ is not an official member of the American Independent Business Alliance I do look to this organization as a great resource. There are a robust collection of not for profit AMIBAs across the country doing great things. I hold out that the dsmBUZZ model (soon to revamp a bit) can be a business unto itself while promoting the buy local message. Look for my plan of changes by the end of January.

Here is an excerpt from a recent study:

"Of special interest to independent businesses, the survey also found that local retailers in cities with organizations with permanent 'Buy Independent/Local' campaigns reported much stronger holiday sales than those in cities lacking such efforts. Well over one hundred such groups have formed across the country in recent years. Independent retailers in these cities still saw a decrease in sales compared to last year, but the drop was 3.2% -- far less than the 5.6% decline reported in cities without permanent “Buy Local” organizations."

Here is a link to the full press release

photo by rustman powered by flickr

Comments

[local gordon]

I can remember what my hometown looked like before they started their highly successful buy local campaign. The town was pretty much derelict and now it has a thriving downtown with a vibrant arts community. It takes a lot of work but if you stick to it even the most devastated local economies can be resuscitated.

[Sherry Borzo]

Thanks Gordon for you comment. Here in Des Moines we do have a great program called Buy Local, Buy Fresh and that organization is heavily associated with our farmer's markets here in the area. As you probably know those markets have become very popular in the past several years.

I've had some challenges finding my footing with dsmBUZZ but the concept of buying local has never been more important than with our struggling economy. We need to have more investment on businesses started and grown in our own communities if we want to weather downturns like our current one.