Press Releases & News

City and Chamber join forces to encourage residents to shop and suppor

Nov 19, 2021

The Guelph Chamber of Commerce and the City of Guelph have joined forces on a “shop local” marketing initiative to promote the importance of shopping and supporting local businesses this holiday season.

This robust marketing and awareness campaign will expand off Guelph Shops, an online hub created in July 2020 to encourage the community to support local businesses and keep dollars local.

This enhanced marketing and awareness campaign will encourage residents to choose local first through various advertising channels, will allow businesses and consumers to connect, and will educate consumers about the way money spent locally returns to the community.

An online ‘Guelph Shops Holiday Wish Book’, hyper-local gift tags, children’s colouring sheets, along with social media toolkits for businesses – all promoting the shop local message will be created through Guelph Shops.

“When we spend our money with local businesses, we contribute to a network that returns our money to our community in ways that benefit all of us, making Guelph a better place to experience, engage and explore. This holiday season and always, we want to encourage residents to spend local when possible.” says Christine Chapman, Manager of Economic Development for the City of Guelph.  

“Although many businesses have re-opened, they still need our support” says Shakiba Shayani, President & CEO of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce. “We want to ensure businesses can thrive in their recovery. When we invest in local businesses, it supports our economy, creates more jobs, and allows charities, sports, and community organizations to succeed.”

The funding for this marketing and awareness campaign comes after a successful grant application to the ‘Shop Local’ investment program provided by the Government of Canada, through the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

Residents are encouraged to share their local shopping experiences or ways that they’ve supported local businesses on social media using #GuelphShops. Visit guelphshops.ca to learn more about how you can get involved.

 

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