Peoria City, County and business owners are asking residents to shop local this Thanksgiving season. The push to shop local comes as Peoria sales tax revenues struggle to grow, in-part because of online or nearby big-box stories. Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Griffin says Peoria isn’t unique to the challenge:
“That’s a nationwide problem. And the problem is more the Internet than the local efforts to create local shopping experiences.”
Griffin says that local shopping fosters unique relationships with customers that help personal shopping. He says that $70 out of every $100 spent on a local business is re-invested in the community.
Peoria County officials say that local businesses have many items residents see at national online sites. They say that local business owners also can develop a unique relationship with customers for personalized shopping.
The Chamber and Peoria County also have a variety of events this week to highlight shopping local. The Chamber has a Scavenger Hunt for Small Business Saturday, where shoppers can visit participating businesses by following clues. A link to the Chamber’s Shop Local events is available by clicking here.