Shoppers supporting retailers such as V&A Bootery benefit community
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Speaking amid the many locally owned shops along the Kalamazoo Mall, James P. Hallan of the Michigan Retailers Association (MRA) today reminded shoppers that buying from retailers in their local communities means a chance to support new start-ups as well as retailers that have been a fixture for generations.
V&A Bootery Vice President Dan Van Dis hosted Hallan at his family’s shoe store that has been in business since 1923. Hallan was joined by Buy Local Greater Kalamazoo Executive Director Faith Cervin, Lana’s Boutique owner Lana Hoffman, the Buy Nearby Guy mascot and other downtown retailers.
“Here in Kalamazoo, longtime retailers such as V&A Bootery, entrepreneurs such as Lana’s Boutique and specialty retailers such as Terrapin World Wide Imports are offering customers unique goods and services every day,” said Hallan, MRA president and CEO. “Michigan communities benefit from having retailers that, in many cases, offer or use Michigan products. When shoppers buy from local businesses, it has a monumental impact on our state and communities.”
He said the state economy would grow by more than $9 billion and nearly 75,000 new jobs would be created throughout the economy if Michigan residents made sure to buy from retailers in Michigan, rather than from out-of-state sellers that don’t invest in the state. In the Kalamazoo-Portage area, retail trade has grown by more than 400 jobs in the past year, according to Michigan’s Labor Market News. More than 866,000 jobs statewide are directly dependent on retail sales.
To encourage shoppers to visit nearby retailers and help Michigan’s growth continue, MRA has launched the Buy Nearby campaign, an ongoing, year-round, feel-good campaign intended to create excitement about the great shopping in Michigan and the advantages of supporting retailers and communities in Michigan.
The campaign’s biggest promotion occurs this year on Oct. 1-2, when retailers across the state will be offering shoppers special deals and promotions during I Buy Nearby Weekend. The expanded two-day special shopping weekend will include a drawing for a $500 gift card for one lucky shopper who posts a photo of buying nearby with the hashtag #ibuynearby.
V&A Bootery has been a mainstay of downtown Kalamazoo for decades, and Van Dis and his family do a brisk business offering shoes that not only look great and make customers’ feet feel better. With stores in Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Portage, and St. Joseph, V&A Bootery strives to be West Michigan’s footwear leader in style, comfort, and selection.
“People often suffer the ill effects of improperly fitted footwear due to purchasing shoes online. Buying online doesn’t allow you to see, touch, try-on, and examine the difference between brands,” Van Dis said. “Finding good, comfortable footwear takes more than just pointing and clicking. Area retailers offer customers a personalized, hands-on experience that out-of-state online retailers just can’t match.”
That message was echoed by Cervin, whose Buy Local message closely matches the MRA’s Buy Nearby campaign. She said local businesses are an integral part of what makes the greater Kalamazoo area a great place to live and visit.
“Our businesses rely on dedicated customers who realize the value they offer and buy from retailers in their community,” she said. “Buying from businesses such as V&A Bootery and Lana’s Boutique is a fantastic way to help boost the city’s economy and create more jobs while enjoying great shopping.”
Hoffman opened her first clothing boutique on the campus of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo in 2004, then moved the store downtown before launching Lazy Daisy and a second Lana’s Boutique in St. Joseph. She and her staff are passionate about helping each customer find the perfect look, whether it is professional, casual or an evening out on the town.
“I order only limited quantities of each style to ensure that customers feel like their Lana’s outfit is one-of-a-kind and to make sure they have a unique experience every time they shop,” said Hoffman, who includes Michigan-made items in her stores. “About half of every dollar spent in a Michigan store goes back into the local and Michigan economies, so buying nearby helps all of us.”
Jeff Neal co-owns Terrapin World Wide Imports with his mother, who opened the store in 1989. He said the growing number of retailers in downtown and elsewhere in the city is making Kalamazoo an even more attractive place to live and work.
“Customers who Buy Nearby provide the encouragement needed to draw even more retail stores to the city,” Neal said. “We like to support other retailers in downtown Kalamazoo, and to let shoppers know how much good they do for Kalamazoo and their community when they buy nearby.”
Also attending the news conference was Buy Nearby Guy, the campaign mascot that’s an 8-foot-tall representation of a shopping bag in the shape of Michigan, colored blue to mirror Michigan’s lakes and skies. MRA has created a Buy Nearby Guy coloring book that young shoppers can pick up at selected retailers.
Michigan Department of Treasury figures show that retail trade accounted for $93.7 billion in economic activity in Michigan in fiscal year 2014, the most recent year available, not counting food and prescription drug purchases. That’s a fifth of the state’s gross domestic product, and a message that Buy Nearby Guy will be promoting in many communities leading up to I Buy Nearby Weekend on Oct. 1-2.
A Buy Nearby Fact Sheet highlighting the benefits that buying nearby brings is attached. Additional information is available at BuyNearbyMI.com and Facebook.com/BuyNearbyMI.
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The Michigan Retailers Association is the unified voice of Michigan’s retail industry, representing more than 5,000 member businesses and their 15,000 stores and websites. Retail is responsible for more than 850,000 jobs in Michigan.
