Independent We Stand emphasizes benefits of shopping local for the holidays

A new movement called Independent We Stand is taking to the net this holiday season with a message about why consumers should spend more of their gifting dollars with locally owned retailers.

It's certainly not the first such organization — by its own count, there are 150 such groups spread out across the United States — but it is making its case in a fun way with the help of some recent statistics:

According to the PNC Christmas Price Index, the 2010 cost for each of the items from the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song would be $23,439. If you bought the items from independent, locally owned stores in your town, $15,938.52 would be reinvested in your community through taxes, payroll and other local expenditures. If you bought them at national chain stores, only $10,078.77 would be re-invested locally. If you bought them at a big box store that number would drop even more. So this holiday season give a gift to your community and “buy local.”

That's exactly what it will take to get people to change their spending habits, whether it's "buy local" or "buy organic" or any other cause: You have to spell out clearly what the benefit for them is.

So, what benefits are you spelling out for your customers this holiday season? Why should they shop with you?