Hot on the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a British Columbian non-profit is pushing the message that there are big benefits to spending your money locally.
"The average Canadian spends $1,400 or $1,500 on travel, alcohol, food and gifts over the holidays so we're really trying to say, while you're spending money anyway, make sure you consciously shift and spend that money at a local business," Amy Robinson, executive director of Loco BC, told Business in Vancouver.
"Even a 1% shift, we've found, can provide 3,100 jobs and $94 million in wages to B.C. businesses."
Loco BC launched Buy Local Week on December 2. The week will feature various events in Vancouver, Burnaby and throughout the province.
This is the second year Loco BC has held Buy Local Week, but the first time they have tried to take the event province-wide, Robinson said.
The group has partnered with Vancity, the City of Vancouver, the provincial government and several chambers of commerce and business improvement associations to hold the week-long event.
