State Extends #ShopLocalColorado Campaign with New Toolkit to Promote Sustained Support for Local Businesses

DENVER - The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) today announced the #ShopLocalColorado holiday campaign is being transformed into an ongoing campaign to spotlight and support Colorado’s dynamic small businesses. 

The original campaign was established to encourage holiday shopping at local small businesses, especially in light of the effects of COVID-19. The campaign received several accolades and local small businesses said it made a difference to their bottom line. 

When you shop locally, 70% of spending stays in the local economy compared to 40% when shopping non-locally. By keeping more money in the local economy, communities are primed to grow their economy with a positive cycle of spending that goes directly back into the local community. 

The on-going #ShopLocalColorado campaign will equip small business owners and economic development leaders with social media content and tools to encourage the shop local messaging across the state. Each month, the campaign will refresh content and work in collaboration with many holidays and national opportunities to celebrate small business. February’s campaign will focus on small, black-owned businesses in celebration of Black History Month. 

“The pandemic’s economic interruption has really highlighted the importance of supporting and shopping our local small businesses,” said OEDIT Executive Director Betsy Markey. “As a former small business owner, I know how important local participation is to business success and sustainability. Shopping local helps our neighbors and our economy and we are thrilled to continue supporting these important contributors to Colorado’s economy.”

Supporting the on-going campaign are divisions throughout OEDIT, including tourism, creative industries, outdoor recreation and the film and television office. The ongoing campaign will serve as a toolkit resource on oedit.colorado.gov. The toolkit will offer social media copy, graphics and links to powerful information for consumer-facing audiences across the state. All are encouraged to utilize the toolkit and post with the hashtag #ShopLocalColorado to get involved. 

With more than 611,000 small businesses representing more than 99% of Colorado businesses, small business is a driving force in the state’s economy. Encouraging Coloradans to shop their local small businesses is a way to invest money back into local economies and in the communities throughout Colorado. 

Everyone in Colorado is encouraged to participate in the campaign by posting on social media and using the hashtag #ShopLocalColorado. Small businesses and economic development leaders across the state are especially encouraged to utilize the toolkit to share the messaging to their far-reaching audiences. 

Visit the #ShopLocalColorado toolkit