Pick 3. Spend 50. Save Your Local Economy

There's a new national movement afoot called The 3/50 Project, which I read about on that great new Portland literary Web site, readinglocal. Here's the gist of it: Pick three local, independent businesses that you'd hate to see go away, and then spend $50 each month total across all three stores (not $150 total). Here's what the project's Web site has to say:

"Think about which three independently owned businesses you'd miss most if they were gone. Stop in and say hello. Pick up a little something that will make someone smile. Your contribution is what keeps those businesses around. If just half the employed US population spent $50 each month in independently owned businesses, their purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. Imagine the positive impact if 3/4 of the employed population did that.*

For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays here. Spend it online and nothing comes home."

We have such wonderfully loyal and supportive customers here at Broadway Books, and we appreciate you all so very much. So we thought you might be interested in hearing about The 3/50 Project too!

© Cinda Baxter 2009; all rights reserved. Proudly supporting RetailSpeaks and independent retailers everywhere.
* Employment statistics courtesy U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2/6/2009