£41K spent on encouraging people to shop local

The Department for Enterprise has spent more than £41,000 on three campaigns encouraging people to support local producers, shops and hospitality businesses.

They included two Christmas initiatives - Love Manx Christmas and the Isle of Man Food and Drink Christmas - and Manx Menu March.

The department says rather than a defined shop local scheme it has delivered a series of ‘connected initiatives’, as a result of the £41,496.85 spend, which encourage support for producers and retailers.

While not detailing the metric for the answer, given in response to a Tynwald question, the department adds reach and engagement data, social media performance and feedback from participating businesses showed the initiatives 'achieved significant reach, promoted local businesses and producers, and were generally well received'.

Further promotion of Manx food and producers is continuing ahead of The Big Manx Feast event (which the department has called 'Great Manx Feast' in its answer) on 19 and 20 September.

The department adds, ultimately, supporting the local economy 'is not solely the responsibility of government or any individual campaign'. 

Residents have been encouraged to play their part by 'choosing to buy local whenever they reasonably can'.