The Town of Carrboro has scheduled its Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6 tonight at the Carrboro Town Hall front lawn. Students from McDougle, Carrboro and Frank Porter Graham elementary schools will sing in addition to Ed Camp and the Arts Center Singers.
BY BETH VELLIQUETTE
bvelliquette@heraldsun.com; 419-6632
CARRBORO -- A new business organization in Carrboro is asking people to spend their holiday dollars in Carrboro.
Shoppers may not find the kind of price-slashing sales they'd find at a big box store or a Durham mall, but spending money with Carrboro businesses is good for the town, said Terri Turner, a member of the steering committee of LocalMotive.
"It's more of an altruistic thing," said Turner, who is the office manager of Weaver Street Realty on Main Street. "It's the right thing to do. You're supporting your neighbors. You're supporting the people who live here, and they want the town to be successful."
The organization's first campaign is Buy Carrboro Week, which begins Saturday and runs through Dec. 12.
The Town of Carrboro supported Buy Carrboro Week with a proclamation that states that for every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $68 stays in the community while only $43 stays local if it's spent at a chain store.
"Keeping the money local will strengthen the tax base," Turner said.
LocalMotive is a member of The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, a national network whose mission is to offer local business owners a venue to connect with each other and educate their communities about the benefits of shopping at locally owned businesses.
At Nested, located in downtown Carrboro, owner Jenny McMillan offers home and gift items.
"In my store, I'm going to be highlighting things that are made by local vendors," she said. "I've got all their products in the window."
Mike Maher, owner of Wootini, an art gallery in Carr Mill Mall, will be holding an art show beginning at 7 tonight, featuring mostly local artists.
As a holiday pricing strategy, he's making sure there are items that range in price from $15 to $40, as well as big canvases that would sell in the $300 range.
"We're trying to make people aware that they can shop in Carrboro for the holiday season and hope through this campaign, they consider shopping first in Carrboro," Maher said.
Locally owned stores maintain the character of Carrboro that so many people love, he said.
As part of their campaign, the member businesses will give change using $2 bills, Turner said. The bills will have a stamp with the group's logo.
A number of the member merchants will be marching in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Christmas Parade on Dec. 12, handing out postcards to remind people to shop locally first, Maher said.
