PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. (December 2, 2009) – Wine, paintings and artwork, handmade jewelry, baked goods, textiles, crafts, spa treatments, trinkets and baubles – all items that can make a perfect holiday gift for someone special and all items that can be found right here in Calvert County.
Calvert County is home to many gift shops and stores which provide one-of-a-kind products with a distinct Southern Maryland flavor. By purchasing directly from stores, restaurants or farms that feature local products, residents can enjoy the convenience and variety of great gift ideas available in Calvert County while helping to ensure that neighborhood businesses and the region’s economy continue to flourish.
Locally owned stores provide jobs, more often purchase supplies and products from other local businesses and provide unequalled customer service. A case study done in Maine in 2003 by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance reports that for every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $45 goes back into the community; for every $100 spent at a chain store, only $14 comes back.
Linda Vassallo, director of the Calvert County Department of Economic Development, believes that support of local businesses can have a ripple effect in developing a strong and vibrant regional economy. “Local merchants provide employment opportunities, unique shopping choices and convenience for our communities,” she said. “But these business owners and entrepreneurs also give back to the community, volunteer in our neighborhoods and schools and serve as mentors and colleagues to other business owners, all of which adds to our collective economic prosperity.”
This holiday season, consider the impact that you can have in your own backyard by dining, shopping and visiting neighborhood merchants while you help stimulate Calvert County’s economy.
Source: Calvert County Department of Economic Development