Chamber excited to encourage residents to shop local stores

The Shop Holmes, Support Home program isn’t going to make the Holmes County Chamber of Tourism a lot of money. In fact, it won’t make them any money, but more importantly, what the program will do is continue to cement the many relationships the chamber continues to grow and develop with many of its partners in Holmes County.

Shop Holmes, Support Home was the brainchild of community and project specialist Taylor Sigler, who said she has seen several other chambers present this type of community-building effort and felt it would be a tremendous fit for this county’s chamber business partners.

“We’re very excited to support our local businesses and give local consumers a really good incentive to participate and to shop locally,” Sigler said. “Our hope is that this passport takes people into some area businesses they haven’t visited before to explore everything they have to offer. I really want this event to showcase how important it is to our local economy to shop local, especially during the holiday season.”

The benefits for shoppers and participating businesses are apparent. As for the benefits for the chamber, Sigler said this is a goodwill effort that comes from the heart.

“One of the most important things we do at the chamber is about promoting our partners and developing those relationships, and this is something that, while it won’t bring any money into the chamber, it will go a long way in showing our desire to support our partners, and that is what being part of a community is really all about.”

In building the passport program, the statistics support the chamber’s desire to encourage people to shop locally this holiday season.

Sigler said research has shown that out of $100 spent locally, $68 are returned to the community.

She said this passport shopping experience is somewhat akin to American Express’ Shop Small Saturday event, but this one is much larger because it gives shoppers 45 days to explore the many local shops and businesses.

The event will run Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, and passports will be available beginning Nov. 1 at the chamber and at participating businesses.

The passports also will be printed in the Nov. 11 issue of The Holmes County Bargain Hunter, where readers can simply cut the passport out of the paper and start shopping locally.

The final day of participation for shoppers will be Dec. 15, and those turning in their passports to the chamber with five or more stamps proving they’ve shopped locally will be eligible for a cash prize.

“We’ve gotten a really great response from area businesses thus far, but we do have room for some more to join on the passport,” Sigler said.

There remains room for around a dozen more businesses, and anyone wishing to become a passport business member may do so by calling Sigler at 330-674-3975 and sending her their logo.

“I’m overjoyed with how quickly so many area businesses jumped on board with this event,” Sigler said. “It’s come together with overwhelming support, and it’s gotten some really good early buzz.”

Sigler created a passport that features participating chamber businesses that wanted to be part of this venture. To get involved, the only thing it costs a local business is to contact Sigler and send her their company logo, which she will then incorporate into the passport.

The idea is to provide the public with these passports and encourage everyone with a passport to shop locally during this upcoming Christmas season.

Sigler said the chamber will present each participating business with a stamp of Holmes County and the words “shop local” that will allow participating businesses to stamp their respective business logo on shoppers’ passports who purchase a certain amount of product in their business.

“It’s all free, easy participation, and we have created a Facebook group called Shop Holmes, Support Home, and it’s #shoplocal and can be accessed through the Holmes County Chamber Facebook page,” Sigler said.

She said the Facebook page should have updates with the program, along with gift guides, holiday store hours and more information on the participating businesses.

“It’s really about creating one central place for area businesses to showcase themselves collectively during the holiday shopping season,” Sigler said.

The event is geared primarily toward local shoppers, but the event will be open to anyone from surrounding counties and even those further away who frequent the area during the holiday season.

Sigler said the idea of highlighting the participating businesses on the chamber social media sites of Facebook and Instagram makes this endeavor especially exciting because they can support their many partnerships.