WINDSOR, ONT. -- A new marketing and awareness campaign is hoping to keep retail dollars in the community and drive economic growth.
Shop #YQG is a joint initiative between Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI) and Windsor Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce (WERCC) aimed at encouraging Windsor-Essex residents to support local restaurants, businesses, professional services and farmer’s markets.
“This is our way to draw attention to the amazing companies that we have in the region,” says Rakesh Naidu, WERCC.
Interested businesses will receive a free branding toolkit that will incorporate the Shop #YQG logo into floor stickers, window signage, merchandise, social media posts, that are customizable with business’ logo.
The accompanying website, www.shopyqg.ca, is now live and serves as a one-stop shop for residents to explore local shopping options by category and geographical district.
There is no fee for local businesses to submit information, such as store hours, location and website. Over 200 businesses are currently listed.
“It makes economic sense to support local businesses in the region. For every dollar that you spend in the local business, almost three times more is returned to the local economy,” says Naidu.
“In terms of employment, there is more jobs per unit of sales in the local businesses compared to the other big box retailers.”
This initiative was developed out of the Windsor Essex Vovid-19 Economic Taskforce, however, “this will have relevancy even post pandemic,” says Gordon Orr, TWEPI.
