by Marie Somos and Patti Aagaard
What businesses would you miss if they were gone? For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, employment, & infrastructure. Local businesses invest back into the community by supporting local charities, schools and sponsoring community events. Buying from a local national chain store returns only $43 back to the community; buying online returns nothing.
In an effort to encourage shoppers to “Shop Local”, Downtown Nyack has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of shopping & buying at local businesses. The campaign, “Nyack’s Got…”, distributed throughout the village in posters, counter cards, & buttons, highlights just some of the unique attributes that make Nyack the vibrant “gem of the Hudson.”
To draw attention & create a new appreciation for the businesses in Downtown Nyack, a “Best Holiday Window Display” contest was launched simultaneously with the “Shop Local” initiative. The winner & runner-up will be determined by Shopper email to Rivertown Magazine. The winner will get a half page ad in Rivertown Magazine; runner-up will get a 1/4 page ad in Rivertown.
Marie Somos of Somos Jewelry and Patti Aagaard from Reality Bites Cafe are Nyack merchants.
