JAMESTOWN — Shopping local boosts the local economy and helps local causes, said Emily Bivens, executive director of the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce.
She said $68 of every $100 spent at a local business remains in the local economy, according to data from Capital One Shopping Research.
“If you go online, shop at a big box store, someone that doesn’t have a location here in our community, then there’s little to zero dollars that stay in our local economy …,” she said.
Bivens said 48% of each purchase at a local business is recirculated into the community, compared to only 14% from the big chain stores.
“So that dollar you spend to get your coffee they might turn around and donate it to a local nonprofit that may use those dollars for something,” Bivens said. “The recirculation of those dollars that help generate funds in our economy is huge when you shop local.”
Kiella Lawrence Imagery/Kiella Lawrence Imagery
A local business is more likely to donate to a local cause, she added, noting that small businesses give 250% more to community causes than larger business, according to Capital One Shopping Research.
“On top of that, when you shop locally, you get the customer experience, you probably may know the person that you are buying things from,” Bivens said. “We’re a small enough community where that really matters. And then of course all the taxes that are generated from that, all the sales taxes that help spur economic development.”
Chamber promotes shopping local with programs
The Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce promotes shopping local with two major programs, Bivens said.
The Chamber Bucks and Loyal to Local programs not only promote shopping local, they in turn boost the economy, she said.
Chamber Bucks are gift certificates people can purchase from the chamber that can be used at more than 300 area businesses, Bivens said. They can be used at more than traditional retail businesses, she noted.
“Whether you want to pay for your dentist appointment or go buy your groceries or go buy gas … there’s over 300 area businesses that accept them, all of our chamber members,” she said. “It’s a great way for us to promote shopping local and supporting local businesses because then we know all the dollars that are spent stay local.”
The Loyal to Local program operates over the Christmas holiday season and will return this year for the fifth year, Bivens said.
“It’s been very successful the last few years,” she said.
Loyal to Local is a shopping local passport, she said.
“So when you’re going around and doing your holiday shopping, you pick up a booklet, a passport, and get it stamped with however much you purchase at a business,” she said. “And then once you purchase up to $250 at five different businesses, you can turn it in either to Zimmerman’s Furniture or the chamber here and you’re eligible to win prizes.”
More than $10,000 in prizes are given away each year for shopping locally, she said.
In 2024, the chamber tracked $148,450 in local spending through the program. Total spending tracked in the Loyal to Local program since it began four years ago is over $500,000, Bivens said.
It’s also helped customers find businesses that they didn’t know were in Jamestown, she said.
“We’ve had really great feedback from a lot of our local boutiques, for example,” Bivens said. “I think those are some of my favorite stories are people turn their booklet in and they say, ‘Oh, I didn’t even know this place existed,’ so it really helps promote all the local businesses and then makes people think about shopping local.”
Bivens said people who turn in a booklet for prizes also say it was easy to fill it.
“They don’t realize that they do shop local a lot and they support local businesses a lot, so opening their eyes to them knowing that they are supporting locally I think is really cool too,” she said. “ … I think the Loyal to Local program really brings shopping local to top of mind during a time where people are shopping a lot. It’s during the holiday season and of course gifts are a part of that. Or you’re having to go buy groceries because you have people coming over, you have to fill up your son or daughter’s gas tank before they head back to school or whatever that might be.”
Bivens said the number of local businesses participating in the Loyal to Local program has continued to grow since it started. In 2024, there were about 80 businesses participating, whether they were a location where a passport could be stamped, donated a prize or funds to purchase prizes or purchased an ad in the booklet.
Even though Jamestown is near three larger shopping centers — Fargo, Bismarck and Aberdeen, South Dakota — Jamestown has a key role in the area, Bivens said.
“We understand you can’t get everything here … but you can get a lot,” Bivens said. “Jamestown has a lot to offer. … Yes, we’re in the middle of these big cities, so to speak, around us, but that also is a great opportunity for us, we’re kind of a regional hub for all the little communities around us. They come here to do shopping or go to the movies or go bowling, take advantage of amenities that they don’t have in their little communities.”
Kathy Steiner has been the editor of The Jamestown Sun since 1995. She graduated from Valley City State College with a bachelor’s degree in English and studied mass communications at North Dakota State University, Fargo. She reports on business, government and community topics in the Jamestown area. Reach her at 701-952-8449 or ksteiner@jamestownsun.com.