The city of Lancaster is once again gearing up for the holiday season by encouraging residents to shop locally for all of their upcoming festivities. By shopping locally, residents help ensure that money circulates within the area, thus delivering more jobs and revenue to Lancaster.
“By doing your holiday shopping here in Lancaster, you are making a conscious decision to proactively support your friends and neighbors at our local businesses while saving time and travel expenses,” said Mayor R. Rex Parris. “By shopping more in Lancaster, you enable these local businesses to expand and offer additional job opportunities to our own residents.”
In addition, shopping within city limits increases the sales tax revenue that is generated by such local transactions. For instance, during last year’s Shop More in Lancaster campaign, sales tax revenue for the city during the fourth quarter of 2012 grew nearly 7 percent over the same quarter in 2011.
“The data clearly shows that shopping locally brings additional benefits to all of us,” said Vice Mayor Marvin Crist. “The proportional increase in sales tax revenue enables us to further improve the quality of life here in the Antelope Valley by providing better roadways for commuters, improved public safety, and better parks and recreation facilities for the enjoyment of the entire community.”
Lancaster officials say the attention paid by local businesses to providing community-specific desired products often allows local shoppers to find products better suited to their needs. Examples of this are the many unique shops located along The BLVD which cater to the unique and diverse tastes found in the Antelope Valley region.
“The BLVD provides a unique experience for shoppers who enjoy browsing for captivating gifts, with the option of stopping for a bite to eat at one of the many fine restaurants here in the downtown area,” said BLVD Association President Jill Cooper. “The ability of our local businesses to cater to their particular customer needs is unmatched; as such I encourage Antelope Valley residents to take advantage of this and enjoy all The BLVD has to offer this upcoming season.”
Local residents are also encouraged to support the Lancaster Auto Mall, as well as the hundreds of businesses located throughout the city. For more information regarding the many benefits of shopping locally and to find establishments which suit your particular holiday season needs, visit: www.shopmoreinlancaster.com.
