To the Editor;



With all the attention being focused on the Buy Local movement, I want to take this opportunity to tell Central New York consumers about one more way we can keep more dollars in our community economy. Shop your ''Closer Grocer!''



The Closer Grocer is a marketing effort sponsored by several locally owned food stores. They are using television commercials, outdoor advertising and social media to persuade shoppers to buy our groceries at stores owned by local business people. The ads tell consumers that when they spend their grocery dollars at local stores, 73 cents out of every dollar stays in the local economy. Money spent at stores with out-of-town ownership generates only 43 cents from each dollar spent for the local economy.



This promotion is a follow-up to ''The Cart Starts Here'' program, which identifies food and beverage brands made in our community and urges consumers to choose these products. The Cart Starts Here was started by our ad agency, Coolican-Le Mon Inc., in 1990. More than 30 locally made products have been promoted in the annual campaigns.



Current participants in the Closer Grocer program include: Dominick's Meats, Nojaim Brothers Markets in Syracuse and Marcellus, Nichols Supermarket in Liverpool, Real Foods Coop and Spera's Market in Cicero. Syracuse First also backs the program. Let's keep our grocery dollars here by shopping our Closer Grocer!





Bill Le Mon

DeWitt





