It is becoming a popular chant: Buy Local…..Local Loves You More….Keep it Local…
This past November, more than 100 million shoppers turned out to support the Small Business Saturday, a day designated to encourage customers nationally to patronize their local retailers. The Facebook page for this event totaled 2.5million ‘likes’ from visitors. Also, in November was Bank Transfer Day, created for promoting and urging consumers to move their accounts to independent banks located in their own communities in order to keep local money in the community.
The enthusiasm behind local movements is more than a social community campaign. Repeated research continues to show the true impact that buying local has on a city. Studies performed by Civic Economics have consistently affirmed that independent storefront businesses generate substantially greater local economic activity, based on both revenue and shop size, than do their chain competitors.
Economic impacts vary depending on business type, but on average, study after study shows that when $100 is spent with a local merchant the local economic impact is three times greater than had it been spent at a chain retailer. For example, in the Civic Economics Austin study, it was found that when $100 was spent at a chain retail book store, $13 went back into the local economy. But when $100 was spent at a local book store, $45 dollars returned to the local economy. This means over 300% more money circulating in the local economy, which means significantly more money in the local collection plate and in taxable transactions funded by the city.
Ray David, Jr. is a longtime advocate and supporter of local communities, customers and businesses. As President of Denton County’s PointBank, he sees daily the economic wealth generated for Denton County when community members shop with local merchants.
David wondered how PointBank might play a significant role in stimulating the local economy and developing deeper relationships between bank customers and independent merchants. He found his answer in a revolutionary rewards program called BuzzPointBanking.
This new rewards program will give PointBank customers reward points when they use their debit cards to make everyday purchases plus it provides even greater rewards for shopping at participating local retail merchants. This helps keep shopping dollars in the community.
“BuzzPointBanking is unlike any rewards program in the country today” said David. “It actually makes every dollar work harder for the person who earned it, and the person who receives it via local purchase. It truly supports a healthy economy’s need to keep money in the community.”
Just as Ray David is responding to the community call, so too are Denton County residents. They are realizing that “keeping money local” is not just a social marketing campaign but a proven way for each individual to positively impact our local economy. There are many organizations online that support buying local. For more information about PointBank’s rewards program go to www.buzzpointbanking.com.
