‘Eat, shop, buy’ local campaign

Northern Grampians Shire Council has launched an online shopping campaign, Support Your Local, encouraging all residents in the municipality to participate and support district businesses.

The aim of the campaign is to promote businesses and prompt communities across the shire to shop ‘locally’ from the comfort of their lounge rooms. The campaign will run until the end of July. The council is inviting businesses in the shire to take part by emailing their business logo, sale offers, a photo of their store and whether the item can be picked up or delivered door to door.

There is no requirement for businesses in the shire to have an existing online presence because the campaign will run through a Facebook event with the council managing the content. Businesses can participate by contacting council’s business-engagement team at business@ngshire.vic.gov.au or on 5358 8718.

Northern Grampians mayor Murray Emerson said the project was particularly important in the current COVID-19 pandemic.

“More than ever we need to support our local businesses. They are the lifeblood of our community and in the current climate it is important to give them a boost and keep our money in our towns,” he said. “Let’s back our businesses and ‘eat, shop, buy’ at their stores and in the online space through this campaign.”

Adrienne Preston from Stawell business Sneak a Peek said businesses were adapting to COVID-19 circumstances and it was important people shopped ‘locally’.

“We’re all here and we try to support all our locals,” she said.

“If people don’t buy locally, there won’t be any businesses to buy local from. So it’s really important.

“And you get that personal service in your own town, if something is wrong with a garment, you bring it back. You don’t have to drive back to Ballarat for example. It is really quite easy.

“COVID-19 has brought lots of changes and each day it brings a new challenge, whether it be cleaning a new item or asking a customer their postcode. We have most things covered and I think most businesses around here have.

“I encourage people to shop in their own town.”

People can find offers available or get involved in the campaign online at www.face book.com/ngshire/events.