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Residents asked to shop local this holiday season

Nov 29, 2016 04:04PM ● By Kelly Cannon

With the help of Local First Utah, Holladay residents are being asked to look local for the holiday season. (Local First Utah)

By Kelly Cannon | [email protected]


Holladay

Residents are encouraged to look local while shopping this holiday season. The Holladay Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Local First Utah and the Economic Development Corporation of Utah to do a campaign that encourages residents to shop, eat and do business in Holladay. 

“We’re coupling it with (the holiday season) because people are out and about, doing a little bit more shopping than usual. It’s something we hope to do again and maybe another time of the year,” said Holly Smith, grant and special projects manager at Holladay City. “This year, we’re doing it with the holiday season so we can try to capture some of that extra spending that is happening in every household.”

The city received a $1,000 grant from the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, along with a match from the city. The funds are being used to create local shop signage that will be placed around the city. 

“We’ll have a cross-street banner right by city hall. And then the light poles that are around Holladay will have some banners,” Smith said. “Then we’ll have some lawn signs that will be in the park strips and the medians close to our business district.”

The city also received a welcoming kit from American Express, who is known for promoting Small Business Saturday, a movement where consumers shop local the day after Black Friday. 

“They provide communities free of charge these kits that have reusable bags and signage and pins and pens,” Smith said. “One thing that we’re going to do with those materials is we’re going to have a welcoming booth on Small Business Saturday, which is on Nov. 26. The chamber and the city and Local First Utah will be there. We’re just going to be talking to people and handing out items to educate and encourage people to shop local.”

Along with Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and Holladay Mayor Rob Dahle, Local First Utah hosted a press kick-off on Nov. 25 that kicked off Small Business Saturday and Shift Your Spending Week, which is Nov. 25 through Dec. 3. 

“Naturally, Local First Utah’s mission is to try and get people to think about holiday shopping and trying to get them engaged locally,” Smith said. 

Shopping locally can have a huge impact on the local economy. According to Local First Utah, if every household shifted 10 percent of their spending to locally own businesses yearly, nearly $1.3 billion would stay within the Utah economy. 

“It’s numbers like that that help people realize a little shift have a huge impact,” Smith said. 

To learn more about shopping local, visit localfirst.org.