Chamber of Commerce Launches Shop Locally Campaign for the Holidays

The Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce is encouraging Cenla to shop locally this holiday season.  ABC News Joel Massey has more on the campaign and what it means to local businesses.

The Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce kicked off the shop dine and do business locally campaign for the holidays.

“It’s a great opportunity to talk about our locals, talk about the mom and pops, talk about the need to keep the money here locally.  In a time period especially coming out of Covid where we were so used to ordering things online, where that becomes so easy, it hurts our local businesses in some ways and this is a way to refocus.”

Pineville Mayor Rich Dupree is encouraging people to shop locally for the holidays and keep the money here in Central Louisiana.

“The money that you spend locally as opposed to going 30, 40 minutes, an hour, an hour and half, two hours away that money stays right here and circulates right here in our local economy between not only the owner of the business but the people that they employ.  And in turn that money gets spent locally as well.  So, it’s going to benefit our local so much more during this peak time in spending if it is spent here in central Louisiana.”

Deborah Randolph with the Chamber of Commerce emphasizes the importance of supporting local businesses.

“The Chamber recognizes the importance of small businesses in our community they’re literally the backbone of our local economy and so it’s so important to support them in the holiday season and beyond.  Just to put it in perspective statistics show that 68 out of every 100 dollars spent at a locally owned business stays right here in our community.”

Some special guests were on hand to kick off the campaign.  Charlie the chamber elf and her partner cash made an appearance.  The elves have been and will be visiting local businesses and making promotional videos.  Randolph says it’s a snowball effect when you spend money locally.

“When you consider our small businesses collectively they are a large employer. Our small businesses employ local people and again there’s a multiplier factor because they have vendors others they do business with as a business.  So that again that benefits our community and circulates those dollars and that stays right here in our community.”