The Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce (RACC) recently announced a five-week Buy Local campaign urging YOU to Think Local First. Help create and sustain a vibrant place to live, seek and explore. This week is Shop Local Week!

Shop Local Showcase

To help support our area retailers, during Shop Local week the Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce will focus on retailers on our social media. Follow the RACC Facebook Page, @RhinelanderChamber, to hear the latest from all the local stores you love.

Why Shopping Local Matters

When you have shopping to do, it is tempting to take the easy route and visit a one-stop shop major retailer – or just browse Amazon. It’s convenient and prices are often low, but keeping your dollars in our hometown has many advantages.

When you shop local – YOU can be the difference in whether or not the store down the street survives after two years. YOU can be the regular customer that makes the difference so Matt, the local craftsman, is able to send his two kids to college. By spending your time and money in local stores, you have the ability to change people’s lives.

Shopping Local benefits

A Stronger Economy. For every dollar you spend at a small business, 67 cents stays in the local community, and a majority of that (44 cents) goes to the small business owner and the wages and benefits of their employees. The benefits don’t stop there, either. Small businesses reinvest 23 cents of every dollar into other local businesses. PLUS shopping local also helps ensure your tax money (which is going to be spent anyway) is going back into your regional tax base. Local taxes are then used for parks, roads and community improvements which we all benefit from on a daily basis.

A Closer Community. Shopping at local businesses gives neighbors a chance to connect. It’s easier to get to know someone you often see at a local coffeehouse than someone you only wave to on your way in and out of your house. Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.

A Great Place to Live. Buying local helps preserve the character and prosperity of the city we all love. Rhinelander is unlike any other city in the world. By choosing to support locally owned businesses, we help maintain Rhinelander’s vibrancy. Visitors and residents alike seek out areas with a wide variety of unique shopping.

A Cleaner Environment. Having stores in your immediate neighborhood means you can leave your car parked and do your errands on foot or by bicycle. Plus local businesses tend to make more local purchases thus less transportation is required. In turn, you’re contributing less to pollution, traffic congestion, habitat loss and resource depletion.

The 715 Pledge

Don’t forget to take the 715 Pledge. Over 75 community members have taken the pledge so far. The 715

Pledge asks you to visit 7 local businesses and spend at least $15 by August 6th. You can take the pledge on the Chamber’s website or by stopping into the Rhinelander Chamber/Visitor Center. If you take the pledge you could win a prize of Chamber Bucks each week!

When you invest money in your local economy, you’re not just helping local business owners – you’re also helping yourself. You’re making your town a better place to live in, with a rich character, thriving economy, and tightly knit community. And the more local businesses prosper, the more new ones will open, making it even easier to continue shopping locally in the future.

For more information and to utilize the digital Buy Local tool-kit, visitRhinelanderChamber.com, follow RACC on Facebook or call 715-365-7464.