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Buy local!

Lisa Napoli Nov 17, 2006

TEXT OF STORY

SCOTT JAGOW: If you have an inkling to shop tomorrow, somebody wants you to buy local. Lisa Napoli reports.


LISA NAPOLI: The American Independent Business Alliance calls Saturday “America Unchained” day.

The idea is to get people excited about spending money at locally-owned businesses and to help them understand why that’s so important.

Jeff Milchen of the Alliance explains, your purchasing power has a cascading effect. That’s because chains don’t employ area support staff like accountants, lawyers and graphic designers.

JEFF MILCHEN: From a dollar spent at an independent locally-owned business, three to and three and a half times as much is going to be re-spent in the local economy compared to a dollar spent at an absentee-owned chain.

Milchen says America Unchained day is part of a larger effort to help local businesses compete against the chains.

In Los Angeles, I’m Lisa Napoli for Marketplace.

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