$2 Buy Local Program - $10K Giveaway Launching December 4th

Ladd Family Pharmacy, Medicap, and Custom Rx to give away up to $10,000 to the Treasure Valley community on Tuesday, December 4th to support local businesses in the community.

Boise, ID (I-Newswire) November 28, 2012 - That’s right, they are going to give away up to 1000 $2 bills to the first 1000 people who come into each of their pharmacies if they will promise to spend it at another locally owned business in the community. Employees will also receive $200 each to spend in the community. That means almost $10,000 more local dollars spent in the community!

The cities of Boise, Meridian, and Kuna all have “Buy Local” campaigns to promote the benefits of supporting their local economy by shopping locally. Business owner and pharmacist, Elaine Ladd and her Business Manager husband Kip of Ladd Family Pharmacy, Pharmacist Owner Devin Trone of Meridian’s Medicap Pharmacy, and Pharmacist Owner Travis Walthall of Custom Rx Pharmacy in Kuna wanted to try and build upon that campaign by educating their employees as well as customers and patients about supporting locally owned businesses across the valley. Ladd Family Pharmacy recently ordered 2000 $2.00 bills from their local bank (Idaho Banking Company). On Tuesday December 4th, they will give each of their twenty employees 100 of the bills with specific instructions on how they must be spent. First, they must be spent as cash, not deposited in an account. Ten percent must be given to a charity of their choice. They must be spent at a locally owned business in the towns on the east side of the county. All of the money must be spent within 30 days. And finally, if anyone asks about what is up with the 2 dollar bills, they must explain the program. Customers and patients will also receive $2 starting Tuesday December 4th as part of the awareness campaign.

“I wanted to help my employees, help locally owned businesses like those in the Think Boise First movement and Chamber of Commerce and also hopefully encourage other business owners and leaders in our community,” Elaine Ladd said. “We have incredible people working for us and supporting our pharmacies. It is important to differentiate between a local business and a locally owned business. A corporate owned store like Wal-Mart and Walgreens send all of their profits to their headquarters in Arkansas and Illinois each night. A locally owned business keeps all money in the local economy. “We live here, our kids go to school here and every dollar stays here in the community. The national companies can’t say that. If we are going to have strong cities and towns we need strong locally owned businesses.”

That is where the $2.00 bills come in. “I only receive 1 or 2 $2.00 bills a month in my pharmacies,” said Ladd. “By using these uncommon bills, we can see if our program is working. We hope other local businesses who receive them will in turn give them as change, and maybe request some of their own from the bank. We ask that the citizens of our community spend them at another locally owned business,”

Two bucks does not go very far these days, but it may just keep locally owned businesses alive…..$2.00 at a time.

Each pharmacy will also be distributing Buy Local information like the following.

Did you know Shopping Local…

1.…generates up to 75% more community and state tax revenue?
2.…provides independent businesses an opportunity to raise the community’s standard of living because their profits are spent with other local businesses?
3.…puts millions of tax revenue subsidy dollars back in our community rather than to chains that are taxed and spend their profits in other states?
4.…allows independent businesses to uniquely contribute to the community character by offering a more diverse selection of goods and services?
5.…allows independent businesses to provide valuable services with a personal touch? Your satisfaction and repeat business matters to them.
6.…prevents national chains from setting predatory pricing and driving local competition out of business before raising their own prices?