Reminder to shop local first

As Menlo Park residents head into the holiday season (starting with Halloween), Hometown Peninsula is reminding them about the importance of shopping locally.  Clark Kepler, president and CEO of Kepler’s Books and a founding member of the relatively new organization, knows first hand about the difference it can make when a community values its local businesses.

“When Kepler’s re-opened in 2005, I heard many of my customers say, ‘I would never have shopped at Amazon if I’d known that it would put you out of business. I’m never going to shop at Amazon again,’” he said.  “Whether true or not, the message was clear: We cast a ‘vote’ every time we spend a dollar. If we want a business in our community, we need to consciously support it. That doesn’t mean that we need to do 100% of our shopping there – studies show that even switching 10% of purchases makes a huge impact.”

To help spur local sales, the group posts discount coupons redeemable at a variety of businesses every month on its website. Membership in the organization is open to locally owned, independent businesses and non profits as well as concerned individuals who support the group’s mission.