'Buy Close By' For the Holiday Season

Thursday, 19 November 2015 08:39

Norwich Township is taking part in a pilot project to encourage people to buy locally this holiday season.

Norwich Township is making a step to get residents to buy local.

Even though a new system has been only recently introduced the feedback has been promising. Specialist for the Rural Oxford Economic Development Corporation, Bernia Wheaton, says the end goal is to stimulate the local economy. "It was the Rural Oxford Economic Development Corporation that launched the Buy Close By program and we are piloting it in Norwich Township as a way to remind people, and encourage people, to support their local businesses with their everyday purchases. As we ramp up towards Christmas this is the perfect time of year to remind people how important it is to shop close by."

Wheaton is looking forward to see how the project does moving into next year. "We've learned a few things in rolling out the program already - we do plan on rolling it out in 2016 in other communities in rural Oxford. The way the program was designed we can implement it at any time of year, we can even revitalize it say for a Mother's Day campaign or a Valentine's Day Campaign. It is something that could live on and on in one community or another."

Wheaton explains how they are able to track the success of this initiative. "The punch card is sort of a passport type system for every purchase of $10 or more people can get their own punch card initialled by the merchant. When the card is completed that represents a minimum of $150 that has been spent in the community." 10 000 punch cards are being distributed in Norwich, and if just 7 500 were to be filled out that would mean $1.1 million spent locally in the Township.

The punch cards can then go into a draw with the first draws on November 27th. The grand prize draws will happen just before the new year. You can pick up your punch cards at the Municipal Office and at the Chamber of Commerce in Norwich.