'Tis the Season to Buy Local

The American Independent Business Alliance Campaigns to Become “Unchained” on November 20; The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies Urges a Week of Buying Local from November 26 - December 5.

The American Independent Business Alliance Campaigns to Become “Unchained”

The American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) is encouraging consumers in participating communities across the country to become “unchained” on November -- that is, to steer clear of chain retailers and to devote the day to supporting independent businesses in their community. In doing so, shoppers will be a part of AMIBA's annual America Unchained! Day -- a nationwide media campaign calling attention to independent retailers before the onset of the holiday shopping season.

Now in its sixth year, America Unchained! Day is adhering to AMIBA's original vision in 2004, which was modeled after “Austin Unchained.” That campaign was developed by the organization's local affiliate, Austin Independent Business Alliance (AIBA) whose president is American Booksellers Association Board Member, Steve Bercu of BookPeople

AMIBA has hopes of broadening its participation by increasing the number of independent associations involved, said Jennifer Rockne, the organization's director.

“We're making it as easy as possible for businesses and associations to participate,” said Rockne. “It's all about the economic multiplier effect, and the more people participate, the bigger economic impact it will have.”

One of the cornerstones of the campaign has been calculating the exact amount of capital that would be injected into local economies if every consumer bought locally for the entire day. At least 48 communities have been involved in the past, she said, which has resulted in a minimum of $100,000 circulated within local economies during past America Unchained! days.

“What a gift it is to the community to spend money locally,” Rockne said.

The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies Urges a Week of Buying Local

National Buy Local Week, organized by the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), will begin this year on Friday, November 26, seen by many as the kickoff of the holiday shopping season. Continuing until December 5, the week is designed for independent businesses to work together to strengthen their community's economy and to increase the local impact of holiday spending.

In 2002, BALLE launched Buy Local Day, in which several local networks were involved. It was later decided to expand the campaign to a full week in order to increase the value gained by independent businesses.

Each year, BALLE hopes to increase participation by highlighting different events and tools that can be used by businesses and community members. This year, BALLE is introducing a “leakage calculator,” developed by the organization's Research and Economic Development Director, Michael Shuman, with the help of technology company Web Collective. The calculators analyze the amount of money that is “leaked” from a community -- when money is spent on an outside good or service that the community could provide for itself. These calculators will soon be available on BALLE's website.

“We want to equip many more communities with useful data on potential jobs from greater self-reliance, the presence of local banks and credit unions, and the key ways to become more food self-reliant -- at a small fraction of the cost of traditional leakage studies,” said Alissa Barron, BALLE's Network Services Director. “This will free communities to put precious resources toward generating new local business opportunities, or to use the results from our calculators to better target additional research.”

BALLE is planning to use their website as a main resource to promote Buy Local Week and hopes to combine the information available on their site with their social media presence in order to spread the word. BALLE will be providing such templated materials as press releases, talking points, and sample logos for use and customization at the local level. More information will be available on the BALLE website in the coming weeks.

“As holiday season spending represents the largest chunk of revenue for retailers in a single year, a shift of just 10 percent of holiday spending toward locally owned businesses has the potential to create an impact of billions in economic activity for local businesses and their economies in just two months,” said Barron.