Shop Long Beach

While Black Friday ads have been bombarding television, a different kind of campaign has started on the streets of Long Beach.

“We want to get people thinking about shopping more locally as opposed to doing everything at the mall, said Michelle Kelly, a local business owner and one of the creators of Shop Local, Shop Long Beach.

Kelly, owner of Earth Arts, along with Patricia Daly of Blue Bungalow and Kelly Sullivan, of Swingbellys, started a Facebook page to promote shopping at Long Beach stores and buying online from Long Beach merchants.

“We’re just a couple of local merchants who know that it’s hard to promote during the holiday season,” Kelly said.

Kelly said that their Shop Local movement was based on something called the 3/50 project, which asks people to spend at least $50 at three stores in their town that they want to support. Kelly said that their goal is to encourage people to think about doing some of their shopping — especially during the holiday season — locally, rather than at malls and chains stores.

“We’re just asking them to spread it out,” Kelly said. “Even if people didn’t do all of their shopping locally in Long Beach, even if you did half or some, it would help out.”

Kelly, Daly and Sullivan started the Shop Local, Shop Long Beach Facebook page over a week ago, and Kelly said that the response so far has been tremendous — the page already has more than 600 likes. The purpose of the page is to help increase awareness of the different businesses around town and what they have to offer. Stores and restaurants send in listings of events or deals that they are having.

The page isn’t exclusive to storeowners in town — Kelly said that many Long Beach residents have businesses that provide goods and services, but don’t have an actual “brick and mortar” storefront. Skudin Surf, photographers and even a local band are all examples of businesses that have joined the group. The organizers also put up flyers around town to reach the people who aren’t on social media. “Shop. Sip. Eat. Play” has become the group’s slogan, which Kelly said has been a way to brand Long Beach businesses.

The winter months are slower for Long Beach businesses, and November and December are the crucial months of the season.

“A lot of people shop hard before the holidays, and then don’t have a lot of money left in January,” Kelly said.

Kelly said businesses are banking on holiday shoppers to help them get through what they anticipate will be a tough winter season. Usually, it is the residents in Long Beach who support local businesses throughout the off-season. However, with many still displaced or dealing with massive rebuilding costs after Hurricane Sandy, expectations for this season are limited. Kelly hopes that this endeavor will catch shoppers attention this holiday season.

“We just hope it runs throughout the season,” Kelly said. “It’s gaining steam and I just want it to keep going,” Kelly said.

Additionally, this Saturday, Nov. 30, has been declared Small Business Saturday by American Express. The company has a promotion where cardholders can register their credit card and receive a $10 statement credit when they make a purchase of
$10 or more at a qualifying small business location on Nov 30. More than 300 Long Beach businesses are included on the list.