Buy in Brooklyn - Shop Local!
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"We take community stewardship seriously, and want to support local businesses in the face of increasing displacement of locally owned businesses. The character of our neighborhood depends on a diverse mix of businesses. We're seeing the beginning of an imbalance between chain and small businesses that is jeopardizing the fabric of the neighborhood," says Ken Freeman, President of the Park Slope Civic Council, whose Shop Local message began the campaign.
While the Park Slope Civic Council recognizes the role of chain stores in the national economy, they join the citywide uneasiness about the closing and displacement of small businesses. The Council believes the situation has reached a tipping point. Neighbors across all five boroughs look on with increasing concern as the doors of some of their favorite local businesses close, often to be replaced by the relative anonymity of chain stores and banks.
Launch organizer and Community Bookstore owner Catherine Bohne likens the situation to "penguins on the edge of an ice floe." "People are beginning to voice their concerns and dive in," she says, "but here in Park Slope—with the generous support of the Park Slope Civic Council—we've been given the means to tap into local concern and pull together a critical mass of partners." Co-organizer Rebeccah Welch agrees: "This launch is serving as a lightning rod for local action," she said, adding that "the issue resonates deeply in the community and the response has been heartening. There's a groundswell of energy, a primed and vital collaboration between merchants, non-profits, and supporters who are eager to jump and try to do something."
Part of the drive behind the Shop Local campaign is its heart and neighborliness. "Many of our local merchants are our neighbors and friends—an integral part of the community," argues Melinda Morris, co-organizer and owner of Lion in the Sun. "Local businesses give back to the neighborhood in myriad ways, far beyond providing goods and services."
But what makes this movement unique is its expansive goal: to promote a collaboration between local business owners, non-profits, and concerned residents to support small local business and the character of the community through action, events, and education.
In fact, national research has shown that local businesses are a major source of jobs and innovation. “Buy in Brooklyn” takes its broader campaign message seriously, working with organizations like the Sustainable Business Alliance NYC, whose principal mission lies in educating the community about the benefits of local, green, and sustainable economies. "Shopping locally is simply good for the economy and overall health of the neighborhood," concurs Freeman. "Every dollar spent locally circulates three times in our local economy—it strengthens the entire economy of the neighborhood."
Organizers expect local politicians, merchants, and non-profits to come together to tackle this community issue following the launch. (Stay tuned for the results.) Organizers have already set a date for Shop Local Day on December 13th, sponsored by Seventh Avenue Chamber of Commerce. "We really want to show how shopping locally is easy and helpful," says Bohne, adding, "A healthy community is one of the best ways to ensure the well-being of its individual members."
