The Auburn Downtown Association (TADA) is participating in the Shift Your Shopping holiday campaign, an unprecedented national drive that encourages residents to take job creation and economic concerns into their own hands by exercising their power to strengthen their own local economies.

By shifting the focus of holiday shopping to locally-owned, independent businesses, you can strengthen your downtown and create more jobs.

TADA is asking Auburn residents to shift your purchases of food, cards, gifts, flowers and other holiday purchases to where it matters most, from your friends and neighbors at locally-owned businesses. All of these products and More Than You Imagined products and services are available downtown, many offered by generations of local, family-owned businesses.

You also will meet some great people. Locally-owned businesses are an important part of our community, offering customer service that can’t be beat and a commitment to community that can’t be matched. Let’s support them this holiday season as they support our local economy year round.

Locally-owned businesses typically generate up to three times the local economic activity of national chains because independents spend more money in the local area, including using more local goods and services such as banking, printing, advertising, legal services, furnishings and more. Through this “multiplier effect,” the added taxes collected from local expenditures provide support for local schools, parks, law enforcement and more.

From shiftyourshopping.org: “Let’s build an annual tradition that strengthens local economies, expands employment, nurtures a sense of community and provides a more relaxed, fun, and rewarding gift-buying experience.

“Americans are about to spend a large portion of their annual shopping budget between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31. The National Retail Federation predicts about $700 per shopper. Numerous studies show that if those dollars are shifted to locally-owned, independent businesses, they’ll generate two-three times as much economic activity in local communities than if that money had been spent at a national chain. Across North America, that could mean billions of dollars of local economic impact.”

Kathleen Keator is executive director of The Auburn Downtown Association. Reach her at 253-939-3982 or kathleen@auburndt.org.