News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Thursday October 10th 2024

“Celebrate Your Independents”: Stalwart Businesses “Bridging” Shopper”'s Needs for Decades

Left to Right: Janet Robert, President and General Manager for AM950 (Metro IBA Board Member), Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, Mary Hamel executive Director Metro IBA

By Julie Ingebretsen

Throughout July, dozens of local independent businesses, who are members of the Metro Independent Business Alliance (Metro IBA) joined forces in a “Celebrate Your Independents” campaign.

“Celebrate Your Independents” offered shoppers exclusive deals, as well as a chance to register to win $1,250 in gift cards from the participating Metro IBA member businesses; including Bibelot Shops, Butter Bakery Café, Electric Fetus, First Tech, Ingebretsen”'s Scandinavian Gifts, Linden Hills Co-op, Midwest Mountaineering, Peapods, Trotter”'s Café, Warners”' Stellian and others.

The campaign kicked-off with an event at Ingebretsen”'s on Thursday, June 30, where Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie spoke to the importance of supporting local businesses.

Multiple studies have shown that each dollar spent at local independent businesses, on average, generates at least three times more direct local economic benefit than dollars spent at an absentee owner chain.* Source: Institute for Local Self Reliance

“I am proud to continue to run the business that my grandfather started in 1921,” said Julie Ingebretsen, manager of Ingebretsen”'s. “We recognize that a strong, healthy business community supports a strong, healthy neighborhood, and vice-versa. So we try to do our part to keep Lake Street a vibrant and exciting place to do business. I think folks are understanding more and more the value of supporting local businesses and institutions, like our fellow Phillips Metro IBA members Welna Hardware and Open Arms. We really appreciate the support we”'ve gotten from the neighborhood, for 90 years now!”

For more information on IBA, please visit www.buylocalmn.com.

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