The holiday season is for many the most wonderful time of the year, and a big push is on to also make it the most bountiful for businesses in the Peterborough region.
Hometown Holiday, a new shop local campaign resulting from a partnership of four local chambers of commerce — the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, the Millbrook and District Chamber of Commerce, the Havelock Chamber of Commerce, and the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce and Tourism — is well underway, showcasing in a big way what local businesses have to offer this holiday season.
The ask is as simple as it is direct: ‘shop local and make this a hometown holiday’ by spending your holiday gift dollars in the region.
“Home is where your heart is, so shop where your heart is,” says Tiffany Arcari, membership services and event coordinator for the Peterborough chamber. “The goal is to create a warm and fuzzy hometown holiday feeling. We felt it was particularly important this year to create that magic.”
“Our region has all that we need,” she adds. “I think it just comes down to education and being proud of community you live in. It’s too easy to hop in the car and drive to a different region to shop, but purchasing gifts locally is more thoughtful. You become more conscious of what you’re purchasing and who you’re supporting. This has been a really, really tough year for local retailers. It comes down to caring about where we live.”
The campaign, planned and pulled together by Peterborough-based advertising agency Outpost 379, is being featured on local radio, newspapers, television, and digital and social media platforms to get the message out, as well as to promote campaign-related special events as they roll out.
“We came at this project with an unwavering belief that if there was ever a time for intentionally supporting local shops and businesses, this holiday season was it,” says Outpost379 president Paul Hickey.
“We benefit in so many ways when we put our money in the hands of local merchants, entrepreneurs, and franchisees. We need to just do it in an oversized way. Sometimes even the best-intentioned people need a kick in the butt to vote with their wallets. We hope Hometown Holiday provides that kick.”
As part of the campaign, the two Hometown Staycation packages — each valued at $1,500 — will be up for grabs via a draw courtesy of Peterborough and Kawarthas Tourism. Attendees can enter to win when they visit one of the following shop local events during December:
- Wednesday, December 1 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) – Buckhorn Festival of Trees
- Thursday, December 2 (7 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.) – Millbrook Christmas in the Village
- Saturday, December 4 (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.) – Christmas at the Cottage (The Cottage Havelock)
- Sunday, December 5 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – Lakefield Christmas Market
- Thursday, December 9 (7 a.m. – 10 a.m.) – Buckhorn Festival of Trees
- Saturday, December 11 (8 a.m. – 12 p.m.) – Peterborough Farmers’ Market (Morrow Building)
- Saturday, December 11 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market (Peterborough Square)
- Saturday, December 18 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market (Peterborough Square)
- Tuesday, December 21 (7 a.m. – 10 a.m.) – Finale event at Peterborough Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, Hometown Holiday gift tags are available for retailers that provide a gift-wrapping service.
According to Arcari, there’s a distinct advantage in Hometown Holiday as a cohesive shop local campaign for the entire region.
“We’re stronger when we all put out the same message instead of having separate campaigns for shopping local — we’re stronger when we’re united,” she says, noting support from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the federal government has been key in getting the initiative off the ground.
“Our region has so much to offer, from the things that are made here to the artists that we have, from the small family-owned businesses to the big box stores. All the money spent here goes back into the region. Local businesses are hiring local people, they’re paying local taxes, and they’re sponsoring local events and sports teams. Our businesses really are at the heart of the tapestry of the region.”
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The partnership involving the four chambers, adds Arcari, is also “historic” in that it has never happened before for a venture like this.
Buy-in came quickly, according to Havelock Chamber of Commerce president Rae McCutcheon.
“Our four local chambers jumped at the opportunity to partner together to create something for the benefit of the larger regional business community,” she says.
Over the past 18 months, local small businesses have had to reinvent themselves to meet the challenges of the pandemic, especially during lockdowns when they were unable to open for in-person shopping. For the first time, many businesses began to offer their customers the ability to browse and shop online. During the all-important holiday shopping season, this means small businesses have the opportunity to lure people away from the e-commerce giants.
“There were lessons and opportunities that came out of the pandemic,” Arcari points out. “One of those was Digital Main Street, a government-funded program that allowed helped businesses get online. It helped them with their e-commerce, helped them with their online sales, and helped them launch online stores. There’s really no need to shop anywhere else online. You truly can find what you’re looking for in our region.”
Stuart Harrison, president and CEO of the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, says it’s crucial that people invest in local retailers, restaurants, producers, creators, and attractions as we emerge from the pandemic.
“Our local businesses have proven themselves to be innovative and resilient, providing more convenient opportunities to shop, book, and order in-person and online,” Harrison says.
Arcari adds the Hometown Holiday campaign reflects the longstanding mandate of each participating chamber of commerce to bring together business and community.
“First and foremost, the chamber is an advocacy group,” she explains. “We hear the needs of businesses. We get change to happen through all the levels of government. That’s what we do.”
“We’re all doing similar work so we can have a healthy and strong region. We all live here. We care. Our hearts are in this. The work we do is relentless, be it advocacy, promotion of members, or bringing the community together. It all falls under our umbrella.”
While it’s still early on in the campaign, Arcari says feedback so far has been positive from businesses.
“They’re celebrating being celebrated. They care about our communities as much as we do. We’re not going anywhere. We’re going to keep doing what we do and drive the message. This year that message is a pledge to make it a Hometown Holiday. Spend your money where your heart is.”
As for the measuring stick of whether the campaign was successful, Arcari says success will be seen in “how we made businesses feel and how we made the community feel. The proof will be in the pudding.”
For more information on the Hometown Holiday campaign, visit the Peterborough Chamber of Commerece’s website at peterboroughchamber.ca/hometown-holiday.html.
This story was created in partnership with Outpost 379 for the Hometown Holiday campaign.
