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What is Holidays on MaiN?
Holidays on MaiN is a statewide campaign calling on residents of Minnesota to spend 75% of their holiday shopping in Minnesota’s downtown districts. This program wants to remind our state’s residents that when you support their local downtown businesses – whether it’s downtown Minneapolis, Red Wing, a Minnesota Main Street community, or your favorite small town – you are often spending your money with locally-based small businesses. By supporting these businesses, residents can have an enormous influence in the local economy and community. Supporting locally owned businesses creates a greater economic impact, and results in jobs. We have created a Facebook page that we are encouraging participants to post photos and video of their favorite local downtown stores and community traditions.
Why was Holidays on MaiN created?
We want to educate and promote that having a locally-based economy is crucial for our state and country’s economic vitality. It’s all about shopping your local downtown, experiencing your community, and supporting your local economy. Holidays on MaiN was created to remind Minnesotans of the unique shopping experiences available to them right in their own back yard – and that where they spend their money matters.
At the most basic level, when you buy local, more money stays inside the community. The benefits of buying local are indisputable:
- When a customer spends $1 at a local, independent business, an average of 68 cents is re-circulated into the local economy. In contrast, for every $1 spent at a national chain store, only 43 cents stays in the community.
- If Minnesotans spent ¼ of their holiday budget on items made in Minnesota, more than $2 billion would trickle into the state’s economy.
- Shopping locally generates more tax revenues, creates more jobs, reduces transportation costs and CO2 emissions.
When is the Holidays on MaiN?
The campaign will run from November 3 until December 31, 2011.
Who can participate?
Shoppers are invited to make purchases in locally-owned businesses in any community with a traditional downtown or an officially designated Minnesota Main Street® district in Brainerd, Faribault, New Ulm, Red Wing and Willmar. For a complete list of communities working to revitalize their downtown, click here.
How can my community use this?
Help spread the word and ask the residents of your community to take the Challenge and shop in their downtown this holiday season.
1. Remind customers and residents to post pictures or video to the Facebook page.
2. Create your own “Holiday Challenge” or “Shop Local” campaign.
3. Issue your own press release putting your own local spin on the challenge.
4. Use the downloadable resources located below.
Interested in getting your community involved?
This challenge is not limited to just Minnesota Main Street communities. Any community with a traditional downtown or traditional neighborhood commercial district is encouraged to participate. We welcome any organization that welcomes these types of districts to use this campaign to challenge their residents to shop downtown. Downtown retailers can remind their customers to take a photo or video of their businesses and submit it to the Facebook page.
The free resources are for everyone to use, including free downloadable PDF fliers that can be printed out for shop windows and handouts for shopping bags. Downtown retailers and supporters can change their Facebook or other social media photo to the Holidays on MaiN logo to help raise awareness. If downtown retailers or supporters have a Twitter account, you can add a Holidays on MaiN twibbon to your profile picture to also promote the campaign. Anything your organization and downtown businesses can think of to help is welcomed. Scroll down to access these resources.
Logos & Downloads
Help spread the word by using our logo as a Facebook or Twitter (#HolidaysonMaiN) profile or download the logo to create your own brochure or handout.
• Holidays on MaiN Logo for Facebook and Twitter (click to download file)
• Holidays on MaiN Logo for print (click to download file)
Retailers:
You can help promote the challenge and have your business promoted in the process by using these downloads to post in your windows and handout to your customers.
• Holidays on MaiN Window Poster 8.5×11 (click to download file)
• Holidays on MaiN Window Poster 11×17 (click to download file)
• Holidays on MaiN Handout (click to download file)
• Holdiays on MaiN Fact Sheet (click to download file)
A grateful acknowledgment
The idea for the Holidays on MaiN was inspired by the efforts of the Michigan Main Street program who executed a successful ShopMIDowntown Holiday Challenge last year. Thank you, Michigan Main Street, for your inspiration and advice along this process. We are extremely grateful for allowing us to replicate this challenge and your guidance through our planning this event.
