The walls of Bill Evans’ Pacific Northwest Shop in the Proctor District are brimming with the best of the Northwest, from best-selling smoked salmon to Almond Roca.

And each item comes with a story from Evans – of the farmers, small businesses and nearby towns the purchase will benefit.

“We have the reputation that if people get something here, they’re helping the local economy,” he said. “It’s not just a product you get, but it’s a feeling.”

Organizers of Go Local Tacoma, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit since November, hope more consumers will catch the warm-fuzzy feeling of going local by eating and shopping in area businesses.

The effort to support and market the businesses that make Tacoma unique has been gaining momentum for three years. Meanwhile, organizers have been reaching out to get area businesses and the City of Tacoma on board.

Patricia Lecy-Davis, president of Go Local Tacoma and owner of Embellish Multispace Salon in downtown Tacoma, said the down economy makes a push to invigorate local commerce that much more timely.

“With this economy, (going local) is no longer just a good idea. I think it’s a sense of urgency, a necessity,” she said.

This spring you might see signs promoting the concept around Tacoma or discount cards that encourage traffic to small shops. Go Local Tacoma’s official launch will coincide with the first day of the Broadway Farmers Market on May 21.

WHAT’S IN A MOVEMENT?

Word choice is key for the marketing team of 20-somethings hired to spread the word and develop programs for Go Local Tacoma.

“We like to use the word ‘movement,’ because it really is a change in how you think about consuming,” said Ryan Rideout, 26, from Innovative Marketing.

Patrick Marquette, 25, president of Innovative Marketing, said his generation is the hardest to sell on the concept. While his peers are Googling for the best deals online, Marquette is surfing the farmer’s market circuit to promote the go-local concept he so believes in.

“If we can get younger people to have a sense of community and a feel for where they live, then they’re more apt to spend money locally,” Marquette said.

At least that’s what happened in the success story town of Boulder, Colo., where the go-local concept first took root. In 1998, Boulder business owners united against an influx of absentee-owned chain stores that threatened to run them out of town – and won.

Their partnership was soon the foundation for the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), which provides resources for cities interested in starting similar coalitions.

The more than 50 alliances nationwide report that 68 cents of every dollar spent locally stays in the local economy, compared with 48 cents of dollars spent at national chains.

Go Local Tacoma is the 49th U.S. city to join AMIBA. Businesses that become Go Local members will have access to marketing and networking resources similar to those available to franchise owners, which will make them more competitive.

LOCAL INCENTIVES

Tacoma’s group has been adding businesses to the fleet for months and is ready to enlist consumers in the cause.

The main incentives for local shoppers? They’re called “informative business guides.”

Shoppers can buy a guide for each of the 14 neighborhood business districts for $20. A two-district package sells for $30. The packets include discount cards – with as much as $600 in value per guide – as well as information about the businesses that make each area unique. Members can use the cards to access savings at participating businesses.

FINANCIAL BYPRODUCT

The guides for the Proctor District have been out for a few weeks, and some stores already are reporting an increase in traffic.

Evans said business at his shop is up 9 percent so far this year compared with 2008. The increase might be due in part to the Proctor Farmer’s Market next to his shop opening a few weeks ago.

He chalks up the increase to the good feeling that comes with shopping local.

“I think it’s really important to support local merchants,” Anne Richardson of Gig Harbor said as she left Evans’ shop last week with a bagful of gifts for out-of-town friends. “We don’t want more big box stores.”

Sure, Evans says, his handcrafted jams can’t compete with Wal-Mart prices. But there’s so much more to it, he says.

Going local “is a pretty profound concept. Without it, you would just be a consumer society. You are consuming when you go local, but you have another dimension,” Evans said.

Whitney Coleman: 253-597-8546

whitney.coleman@thenewstribune.com