EG Biz Leaders Urge Shoppers to Buy Local this Year

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the Rhode Island Foundation and East Greenwich business leaders are urging residents to shop at locally owned businesses using a new website called buylocalri.org, where merchants can market their products and services and shoppers can find locally sold products, see a calendar of holiday-related events and promotions and even sign up for email about discounts and special offers.

“Patronizing local shops and restaurants has the potential to payoff in a big way. We are talking about money that each one of us is already spending, so no additional investment is required. The return can be spectacular as the cash circulates through our economy,” said Neil Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO. “As these companies prosper, they will grow and put people back to work.”

Shifting just 10 percent of the purchasing that Rhode Island shoppers do from chains to independent, locally owned businesses has the potential to add $373 million to the state’s economy, according to a study commissioned by the Foundation. The study estimates that 57 percent of spending with locally owned retailers stays in the state’s economy compared to just 13.6 percent of spending at major national chains.

Only locally owned, Rhode Island businesses can list their companies on the Buy Local RI website. Consumers can search by a number of fields including location, product or service and company name. There is no cost for businesses or consumers to use the website.

Town officials and local business people joined the Foundation for the announcement at The Green Door at Home on Main Street. The shop owner hopes the holiday events, the upcoming “Main Street Stroll” and the Buy Local campaign make consumers more aware of the benefits of shopping at locally owned businesses like hers.

“During the 23 years The Green Door has been in business I have continually heard from visitors from out of state how much they enjoy Rhode Island and what a ‘hidden gem’ it is. In the last few years, since the campaign to buy local began, I now have been hearing the very same quote from our own Rhode Island residents,” said Susan Swanson.

“The awareness of the movement is so apparent when I hear my customers say ‘they love to shop local.’ One of the most popular areas of The Green Door is our Rhode Island window, where customers can purchase many products either designed, or produced in RI. We designed The Rhode Island Afghan 20 years ago and it’s still one of our best selling items,” she said.

Many businesses that are members of the East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce plan holiday sales and promotions.

“We are delighted to have the support of Lieutenant Governor Roberts and the Rhode Island Foundation’s Neil Steinberg. It’s gratifying to know that they recognize the importance of small businesses in the State of the Rhode Island and in our wonderful town of East Greenwich,” said Steve Lombardi, the Chamber’s executive director.

“Last year, East Greenwich’s Main Street was featured nationally on MSNBC’s ‘Your Business’ as we prepared for Small Business Saturday. This year, we are again solidly behind Small Business Saturday and we are looking forward to making it even better,” he said.

Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts launched the original Buy Local RI initiative in 2008. Over the years, she crisscrossed the state doing “Main Street” tours to promote the effort. Last year, Roberts handed off the campaign to the Foundation as she looked ahead to her transition from office.

“I developed the campaign in an effort to grow our economy by expanding business opportunities for local independent businesses,” said Roberts. “This partnership with the Foundation will enable Buy Local RI to build on its work promoting connections between consumers and small businesses, and between businesses and local suppliers.”

The Foundation took on the challenge of freshening the campaign coming out of its Make It Happen RI economic development initiative, which brought together more than 300 business leaders to brainstorm ideas to create jobs and jumpstart the state’s economy.

“Lt. Gov. Roberts deserves credit for her foresight and leadership in creating the original campaign. We promise to be a good steward of her work,” said Jessica David, the Foundation’s vice president of strategy and community investments.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. In 2013, the Foundation made grants of more than $31 million to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit www.rifoundation.org.

PHOTO CAPTIONS: (L-R)

Group Photo

Neil Steinberg, President/CEO Rhode Island Foundation; Stephen Lombardi, Executive Director, East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce; Susan Swanson, Owner, The Green Door; Michael Isaacs, President East Greenwich Town Council; Mark Schwager, Town Council Member; Mark Gee, State Senator-elect District 35.

Candid photo

Susan Swanson, owner of The Green Door on Main Street in East Greenwich, left, and Stephen Lombardi, Executive Director, East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce, are among those listening to Neil Steinberg speak at the East Greenwich launch of Buy Local RI.