CITY OF LEBANON ENCOURAGES RESIDENTS TO SHOP LOCAL AND SHOP SMART
LEBANON, TENN. – The City of Lebanon, along with its partners Historic Lebanon and the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce, encourage residents to shop local this holiday season through the Shop Small Lebanon campaign. Instead of focusing on one day of shopping on the Saturday after Thanksgiving which is traditionally Small Business Saturday, this year’s emphasis is on shopping small all holiday season long. 2020 has presented unprecedented challenges for the local small business community including substantial tornado recovery efforts and greater restrictions in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Smart shopping is a way for citizens to support local stores while taking necessary precautions to stay safe and socially distanced. The City of Lebanon with a partnership between the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce, and Historic Lebanon have merged resources to help market Small Business Saturday and shopping small all holiday season. This includes our traditional digital marketing seminar, which was held online this year and digital marketing, media advertising and billboards to help create awareness of the importance of shopping small. Colorful shop local tote bags have been added this year that promote shopping local and will be distributed by local retailers as consumers shop this holiday season. The local banks have come together as well to help stimulate the local economy by offering Small Business Bucks! These are available for pick up at the local banks and can be used in the small business community.
Mayor Bernie Ash urged the residents of Lebanon to support small businesses and merchants on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year acknowledging the tremendous contributions small businesses make to our local economy and community.
“The holidays are a time for communities to come together and our local businesses need residents to think Lebanon first this season,” said Sarah Haston, City of Lebanon Economic Development Director. “This year, the safety of our residents and merchants is our prime concern. We have adjusted plans and made special arrangements for Shop Small Lebanon to make it easier for everyone to shop local and stay safe throughout the season.”
“Our historic downtown area is the heart of our community and the local small business owners are the driving force for a strong economy. Supporting local is especially important this holiday season” expressed Kim Parks, Historic Lebanon/MainStreet Program Executive Director.
Many local retailers have put into place more options for online purchasing. Residents are encouraged to consider these alternative shopping practices:
- Shop online with local retailers whenever possible
- Utilize curbside or safe in-store pick up services
- Take advantage of select discounts for customers using the complimentary Shop Small Lebanon tote bags
When shopping in-store, general health and safety measures should be practiced for the safety of shoppers:
- Wear a mask or face covering in all stores and local businesses
- Follow the social distancing recommendations in stores
- Continue to follow state guidelines restricting large gatherings
“As Lebanon continues to rebuild and move forward, it is vitally important to shop small and shop local during the holidays and always,” stated Melanie Minter, President & CEO of the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce. “Visit or go online to support our local restaurants and small businesses for all of your dining and shopping needs. Every dollar counts and our ultimate goal is for our friends and neighbors to prosper.”
For more information about Shop Small Lebanon 2020, please visit this webpage: https://www.lebanontn.org/574/Shop-Small-Lebanon-2020