OLYMPIA –As the holiday shopping season enters full swing, Gov. Jay Inslee is asking residents to “shop local” and support the small businesses that drive Washington’s economy.
“Shopping locally helps create local jobs,” said the Gov. Inslee. “These local businesses create jobs in our communities and the trickle-up effect helps fuel our state’s economy. The holidays are a great time to discover the products and services available from Washington-grown businesses.”
Nov. 29 marks the fifth Small Business Saturday, a national movement to broaden the post-Thanksgiving shopping focus beyond traditional Black Friday. Shoppers are encouraged to promote their own #shopsmallWA and #shopsmall experience using social media on Nov. 29. Small business owners throughout Washington are touting why they “Choose Washington” to run their business on a new Department of Commerce webpage.
In Washington state, small businesses account for 98 percent of all employers. Every dollar spent at a local business is recirculated three times more in the community than a dollar spent at a chain store.