Shop Local, Shop St. John
St. John the Baptist Parish - The St. John the Baptist Parish Economic Development Department is launching the annual Shop Local, Shop St. John campaign for the 2019 holiday season in an effort to promote locally-owned and operated businesses. Shop Local works to educate consumers, business owners and the St. John Community through media outlets about the many benefits of spending locally.
To kick off this campaign, business owners and members of the community are invited to attend a free event on Thursday, November 21st at 9 am at PJ's Coffee (1808 W. Airline Hwy.) in LaPlace.
Residents should also be on the lookout for the annual Shop Local trivia game in the mail with clues to local businesses. If the correct answers are selected and returned, residents will be entered in a drawing to win gift cards and other prizes from local retailers. Residents can mail in completed trivia games to 1811 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace 70068, or drop them off in the Shop Local collection boxes located at the St. John Parish Government Complex (1811 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace) or in the St. John Courthouse foyer (2393 Highway 18, Edgard).
Small Business Saturday will be held this year on November 30 and community members are encouraged to make their holiday purchases in St. John. Please visit the stjohneconomicdevelopment.com for an online, searchable directory of local businesses, as well as a wealth of information on the economic, environmental and “feel-good” benefits of buying local. . Businesses can register to be a part of the campaign at www.sjbparish.com/shoplocal. There is no cost for membership.
“We are asking residents to remember that for every $100 spent in St. John, $68 stays in the Parish,” said Parish President Natalie Robottom.
The Shop Local Shop St. John campaign was launched in December 2012 by the St. John the Baptist Parish Economic Development Department and Economic Development Council (EDC) with input from St. John businesses and merchants. The Shop Local Shop St. John mission is to support locally owned, independent businesses in St. John Parish, to maintain our unique community character, provide continuing opportunities for entrepreneurs, and build community economic strength.
Our three focus areas are:
- Informing citizens of the values provided by community-based businesses and their importance to the local economy, culture and social fabric.
- Group branding, promotion and advertising to elevate the collective profile of our community-based businesses and bring to them some of the advantages chains enjoy.
- Creating strong relationships with local government and the media to inform local decision-making and give a voice to the locally owned independent business community.