LivCo Loot Program encourages shopping small during holidays

Spectrum News 1

Livingston County wants shoppers to put their money where their heart is. A new program is encouraging shopping small during holidays. When Jacob Caplan opened Cosmic Charlie, he wanted to create a place for the community to hang out. "The vibe is really special," Caplan said. "We have good music [and] happy faces. We're polite. We try to do all of that all at once." The café in Geneseo shares a space with a climbing gym and a clothing store.

“Coming out of the pandemic, it was a little slow to get going," said Caplan. "But recently it’s been taking off. It's nice to see everyone out and about."

The Livingston County Economic Development Office wants to keep those people downtown. “Say someone has a large purchase or just wants to make someone’s day, they can say, 'Here’s five bucks get a coffee on me,'" said Louise Wadsworth. Wadsworth got the idea to make $5 wooden tokens 10 years ago at a conference. Now she’s bringing them to businesses in Livingston County. "It's inspiration to get you to move around the county a bit," she said.

Thirty businesses are participating in the LivCo Loot Program, including Cosmic Charlie.

"Put your money back into the community you’re living in, you’re thriving in," said Caplan.

For every $100 you spend at a local business $68 goes back into the local economy. When you shop at a national chain, only $43 stays local. “It's about loving the community you live in and supporting it," said Molly Downey, an economic development specialist in Livingston County. "The business owner is probably your neighbor, friend or family."

Whether you spend your LivCo Loot or you’re the one handing them out, the community hopes shopping small continues beyond the holiday season. "They'll be reminded because it says put your money where your heart is on them," said Wadsworth.