A Holiday Pledge For Cape's Businesses

"With small businesses it's really hard. We live in a very seasonal community ... We wouldn't still be here without the support."

— Molly Avellar

Co-Owner, Adorn

What is Shift Local Pledge?

Consumers have a lot of power. The benefits from choosing to spend some of their shopping money in local businesses have far wider ripple effects into the Cape Cod economy than one might think. Love Live Local, an advocacy organization based in Hyannis, are encouraging people to keep their holiday shopping close to home. In a collaboration with local businesses across the Cape, the Shift Local Pledge has shoppers signing up to shift ten percent of their total spending towards their community shops and restaurants. The possible end result according to Love Live Local's analysis may surprise you. But Amanda Converse, Executive Director of Love Live Local, say that further joint effort is needed in the Cape Cod's seasonal communities where restricted opening hours risk pushing consumers over to the online web shop giants.

How does local shopping benefit businesses?

Mother and daughter Jenny and Molly Avellar, descended from Orleans craftspeople, had been dreaming about opening a shop. One morning as they were having breakfast at a local restaurant in East Orleans they noticed a store space for sale across the road. The two were no strangers to the location, Molly's great grandfather – Jenny's grandfather – had his workshop on the same lot. Mother and daughter say there is no other place they'd want to be but Orleans, the place where they both were born. The support from local consumers has made it possible.

Does shopping local affect housing issues and labor shortages?

The current Cape Cod housing market makes it difficult for workers to find affordable accommodation to move into the towns, which leads to many businesses being short-staffed and, in some cases, restricted opening hours and fewer consumers. This multi-layered web makes shopping locally even more important, according to Amanda Converse, as the local shops not only make communities more vibrant, but they also contribute to their municipalities with tax money, which in part goes towards housing.

For more information:

• Sign up for the Shift Local Pledge
• Love Live Local crunching the numbers
• Adorn in East Orleans
• Shop locally grown food