Take the Challenge

Welcome to ShopLocalAlexandria.com, a community-wide challenge to Alexandria residents to divert at least 10 percent more of their shopping dollars to locally owned independent businesses.

Several economic impact studies have shown that buying from locally owned businesses circulates more money through the local economy, creates more jobs, generates more tax revenue and supports more local charities, events and infrastructure than buying at big national chain box stores.

Why? Because some of the money spent at big box retailers is shipped off to CEOs and their headquarters operations, shareholders and foreign manufacturers. Money spent at locally owned businesses tends to stay right here in Alexandria. More reasons to buy local.

It sounds like a small price to pay, just changing your shopping habits a little bit to make Alexandria a better place for all of us. But we wanted to see just how EASY it would be. So we recruited three Alexandria area residents to take our challenge:

• Kathryn Martin is a personal shopper and stylist. She’s also a wife, mom and blogger. She’s been the manager and buyer of small boutiques and larger retail chains. And when she’s not shopping or working on her blog, (MilkBreadFashion.blogspot.com), she spends her time enjoying her very active family and figuring out ways to stay stylish at the playground. 
• Aimee Houghton is a government employee. She’s single and has lived in Old Town for 11 years. When she’s not hopping around the country for work, she is either traveling or happily at home in Old Town with her cat.
• Jay Palermino is the founder of Best Solutions Consulting, an Alexandria-based public relations and marking firm. He also recently joined the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and serves as Director of Membership Sales and Services.

Over the next three months they will seek out local businesses to meet their day-to-day needs and blog about their experiences here.

You are invited to join in too. Check in and read about their adventures in retailing. Vote for your favorite blogger and offer your suggestions to help them find the goods and services they need. Your comments will be just as valuable as their efforts. And if you are inspired, take the challenge yourself, tell your friends and get involved.

The Shop Local Alexandria Campaign is sponsored by the Old Town Boutique District, a cooperative of 28 Alexandria-owned independent businesses. Visit any one of the member stores to pick up your Shop Local Alexandria Guide, and a map to locally owned Old Town businesses. It is, after all, Alexandria’s one-of-a-kind retailers and restaurants that make our city unique and a destination for both tourists and area residents alike. Keep Alexandria thriving – shop local.