"a campaign to support local businesses  by celebrating the uniqueness of the community"

With it's Nantucket feel, it attracts locals and tourists by the droves - primarily in the summer months.  Like every seaside town, business is slow over the winter, this season it's particularly hard.

In January of 2009, a few Rowayton merchants gathered to brainstorm ways to bring business back into town, to increase civic mindedness – buy locally, and to help one another through these tough economic times.

“Shop Rowayton” is a campaign launched by that meeting, an idea that has gathered momentum and is being turning into a business opportunity for merchants. 

Businesses helping businesses

How the campaign started...

December 2008, Downunder Kayaking owner, Kim Beaumont, decided to include some local businesses in a Christmas email to her clients.  Why?  "They're my friends and their businesses are struggling.  The economy is hurting everyone, esp. little seaside towns like Rowayton."  Beaumont's email distribution list includes a number of newspapers, and was read by Chris Bosak of The Norwalk Hour.  Chris then published a story... read Businesseshelpingbusinesses">here.

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PRESS RELEASE FEBRUARY 2009

Rowayton business pull together

“We’re all in the same boat”

How to keep afloat in a down economy?  Businesses in Rowayton CT have determined it’s by helping one another.  Sales are down, foot traffic is less - the state of the economy is impacting all businesses, and it’s especially hard in this seaside village that is already slow in winter.  The businesses are still open, and they’re struggling. 

Christmas of 08, a local business Downunder Kayaking, sent an email to clients inviting them to not only buy from Downunder, but to also consider other Rowayton business – Rowayton Wine, Fitness Philosophy, Rowayton Seafood Restaurant, and Rowayton Market.  This gesture of outreach set the ball rolling.  A local newspaper included them in an article on ‘Businesses helping Businesses’.  The article was read by a local bank that reached out to local businesses, offering to help however they could.  A few Rowayton merchants gathered to brainstorm – how to bring business back into town, to increase civic mindedness – buy locally, and to help their partners through the lean months of winter.  ‘Shop Rowayton’ a campaign to achieve this, was thereby launched.

“Rowayton is known for the characters – Mike at the Wine Shop, Brendan of Brendan’s 101, Kevin at The Restaurant, and Kim at Downunder – amongst many others and a lively bunch of locals.  The campaign is about the people, who they are, what they do, and why to buy here.  It’s personal” claims Barbara Conroy of The Rowayton Market, who spearheaded the campaign.

Benefits of the campaign for businesses include significant marketing, features in print, a display in the Darien Rowayton Bank lobby, individual pages on the website www.shoprowayton.com, posters within the community and neighboring area, and ultimately a Merchant Fair on May 16th. 

”We’re just one of many towns with this mindset, what’s important is that we’re working together for the better of us all.  That leads to a stronger country, and just maybe, a reversal in the state of the economy” suggests Kim Beaumont of Downunder Kayaking.