Council Members: Local Businesses Are 'Lifeblood' of Town

To the editor:

This Thanksgiving, Moorestown will pause to spend time with family and friends and remember the things they are most grateful for. The next day, however, many folks will try to snag the best deals and get a jump-start on their holiday shopping.

While we appreciate that 57 percent of Americans will be taking advantage of “Black Friday” as a chance to save some money, we would like to take this opportunity to urge all of our neighbors to keep it local this week and throughout the holiday season.

Towni Localistics and Sustainable Moorestown have teamed up to spread the word on a new Moorestown tradition: “Plaid Friday.” Originally started in Oakland, CA, the concept behind Plaid Friday is “weaving the individual threads of small businesses together” and urging shoppers to spend their hard-earned dollars supporting our small businesses on a day traditionally dominated by big-box stores. It’s simply a relaxed, hometown alternative to the madness of Black Friday. We applaud this movement here in our community, and ask that all residents consider spending time on Friday shopping and dining at our Moorestown businesses (and preferably, doing so while wearing something plaid!).

If you are more likely to spend Friday relaxing on the couch after your family’s Thanksgiving feast instead of venturing outside, consider taking your family out this weekend to celebrate Small Business Saturday and patronize our local businesses on that day instead. Research from the American Independent Business Alliance found that for each dollar you spend at small businesses, there will be three times more invested back in the local economy than one spent at a chain. Think of the impact you can have right in your own backyard!

Both of these days offer us a chance to show our appreciation and respect for our town’s small business owners, and to send a message that we as a community believe in shopping small. These businesses are the lifeblood of our community, owned by our friends and neighbors, and essential to the small-town character of this place we call home.

We wish you and yours a happy, peaceful and joyous Thanksgiving!

Mayor Stacey Jordan and Deputy Mayor Chris Chiacchio

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