“iShopDavie Days” Puts Local Businesses In The Holiday Spotlight

Everyone loves a great deal during the holiday shopping season, and the Davie County Chamber of Commerce has come up with one that truly can be described as the gift that keeps on giving.

iShopDavie Days November 29 – December 1
At its first meeting this November, the Davie County Board of Commissioners announced it was officially designating the three days immediately following Thanksgiving this year—November 29 through December 1—as “iShopDavie Days.” The goal of the program? To encourage all Davie County residents to do their shopping at Davie County businesses during that period.

Given the headaches involved with traveling to large urban centers for Christmas shopping—tangled traffic, scarce parking, interminable checkout lines—iShopDavie should have instant appeal for the county’s 40,000-plus residents.  But as Davie Chamber of Commerce president Carolyn McManamy points out, there’s another incentive: shopping where you live is like giving a present to your friends, neighbors, and even yourself. “When we choose to purchase goods and services in the community where we live, pay taxes and send our children to school, we are investing in the well-being of our community and also creating a more prosperous place to live,” says McManamy.

And recent economic studies indicate it really is an investment: A report called “Local Works” by Civic Economics reveals that shopping at a locally owned pharmacy, for instance, injects 77 percent more into the local economy than shopping at a major chain pharmacy, while dining at locally owned restaurants provides a 52 percent advantage over eating at national chains.

But iShopDavie Days isn’t meant to focus just on locally owned businesses. “”We want people to use all of our businesses,” McManamy says. “Some of them are big boxes, some of them may be large manufacturers, but you can support them by buying the products that they make.”

Davie Chamber Smartphone App Helps Shoppers Save
Of course, people are always searching for ways to save money during the holidays—and that’s where the Davie County Chamber of Commerce mobile app for Android and Apple users comes in. In addition to updates on community events and destinations or employment opportunities, the mobile app is your gateway to “Davie Deals”—coupons and special offers that make doing business near home even more appealing for Davie County residents. Don’t have a smartphone? Text “DAVICECHAMBER” to 95577 to keep informed on all things Davie.

McManamy says that the Davie Chamber will collect information that will show residents the true impact of programs like iShopDavie Days, but for now the goal is to get the word out. “Right now, we are in the process of educating folks on the importance of supporting our own business community,” she says. “We want people to identify our iShopDavie logo and understand what it really means.  Our video has helped significantly with getting the message out.

“We’re excited about this program for our businesses and our community and look forward to showing everyone how spending money in our own community can have huge impacts.”

To learn more about the iShopDavie program and iShopDavie Days, visit www.ishopdavie.com. You can download the iPhone/iPad version of the Davie Chamber App here, while Android users can find the app for their phone here on Google play.