PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A new campaign is encouraging Portlanders to support local businesses through the winter months.
Billboards from Here for Portland have been popping up throughout downtown. A press release about it said “this special initiative that calls on all Portlanders to help the Rose City bounce back from the unprecedented economic and pandemic setbacks of 2020.”
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, Commissioner Dan Ryan, Commissioner Mingus Mapps, and Andrew Hoan, president & CEO, Portland Business Alliance, Greater Portland’s Chamber of Commerce made a statement of unity on Tuesday.
“We want your business to be here, we want you to be in business, we want you to thrive,” Wheeler said during remarks.
Andrew Hoan, president & CEO, Portland Business Alliance, Greater Portland’s Chamber of Commerce said they are not hearing about a wide scale flight of businesses out of downtown. He expressed hope about reviving the downtown core.
Sarah Hefte, the owner of Everyday Music, is appreciative of the new initiative. Even being open now, she said, business is down 35-40%.
“We were closed and then we downsized the physical store. We reduced our staff, our hours, payroll. We reduced our inventory,” Hefte said. “We did everything we could to try to stay open and not operate in the red every week.”
She added that everything is helpful.
“Everything is helpful. Every kind of campaign like that to shop local, shop small. We really appreciate it. Every dollar counts, at this point,” she said.
The hashtag #HereForPortland is associated with the campaign. You can learn more about it here.