If you promote it, people will shop

A recent survey by the Independent Business Forum shows that in communities that promoted "Buy Local" campaigns, sales for independently owned businesses were up an average of 2%, as opposed to those in communities that did not promote "Buy Local" campaigns where they were up only .5% 82% of the 1382 nationwide independent businesses surveyed said the fact that they were locally owned and independent matters to their customers. Read a summary of the findings here.