Press Release: Gov. Evers Celebrates “Shop Small Wisconsin,” Encourages Wisconsinites to Shop Local this Holiday Season

State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 11/22/2023 12:15 PM CST
Office of Governor Tony Evers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 22, 2023
Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov 
 
Gov. Evers Celebrates “Shop Small Wisconsin,” Encourages Wisconsinites to Shop Local this Holiday Season
 
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today shared a video message celebrating “Shop Small Wisconsin” and encouraging Wisconsinites to shop at local small businesses during the holidays.

For the third consecutive year, Gov. Evers proclaimed “Shop Small Wisconsin” across the state. This year, Shop Small Wisconsin will take place Nov. 25, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2023. This initiative encourages Wisconsinites to shop local and support Wisconsin’s Main Streets and small businesses during the holiday season. This year, Shop Small Wisconsin will take place Nov. 25, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2023. A copy of the governor’s Shop Small Wisconsin proclamation is available here.

Small businesses are the hearts of Main Streets and communities in every corner of the state and are powerful drivers of local and statewide economies. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, in 2022, small businesses comprised more than 99 percent of business in Wisconsin and employed nearly half of all Wisconsin workers.

Since 2020, Gov. Evers has invested more than $1 billion of Wisconsin’s federal coronavirus relief funds in economic resilience and supporting small businesses, including through the We’re All In, Wisconsin Tomorrow Small Business Recovery, and the Main Street Bounceback Grant Programs. Through the Main Street Bounceback Grant Program, more than 9,400 small businesses and nonprofits across all 72 counties have expanded or opened new storefronts in previously vacant commercial spaces, providing Wisconsinites with even more opportunities to shop small and local this holiday season.

The governor’s video message was recorded at Flowers from the Heart on Fifth in Antigo, which the governor visited during a tour of Main Street Bounceback businesses in downtown Antigo to kick off the “Shop Small Wisconsin” season. While there, the governor visited Wildman Arts, Chocolate Creations by Kylie, Birch Boutique, and Flowers from the Heart on Fifth. Photos from the governor’s visit to Antigo are available here, here, here, and here.

Following his visit to Antigo, the governor also visited small businesses in downtown Oconto. While in Oconto, the governor visited The Shop on Main, Creative Ewe, Roberts Hometown Hardware, The Candy Shop, and Secret Garden Floral Design. Photos from the governor’s visit to Oconto are available here, here, here, and here.

The governor’s video message can be found here, and a transcript of the video message is available below. 

Shop Small

Here in downtown Antigo and celebrating and participating in shop local—and Shop Small local, for sure.

And Antigo’s a good place to do that.

They’ve got wonderful small shops that actually we’ve been able to help start or expand here in Antigo, especially with our Main Street Bounceback Program.

The important thing for small businesses—first of all, they are just fun places to go to.

The entrepreneurs that are working really hard, but also, they buy local and they hire local.

And so, every success story is based on the success of another local merchant.

So, glad to be here—it’s that time of year!
 
An online version of this release is available here.
###