“Cash mob” intent on supporting local businesses

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — You’ve probably heard of or seen flash mobs. They’re those groups of people that seemingly erupt into spontaneous dance in public places.

Flash mobs have evolved into “cash mobs,” and instead of dancing they’re spending cold, hard cash to support local businesses.

A cash mob occurred in Fort Collins Tuesday night.

Old Firehouse Books at 232 Walnut St. is usually quiet and reflective, but it became a target of a mob–not intent on causing trouble or violence–but to help.

“It’s this idea of mobbing local, independent businesses with cash purchases. Other organizations around the country do $20. We thought we’d start with $10,” says Emma Smaldino of Buy Local Northern Colorado.

They call it a “plaid mob”–a takeoff of cash mob–where they call on people through social media to show up at one northern Colorado business a month and spend at least $10 each.

“Ten people putting in $10 is $100 on top of normal sales and that is sweet,” says Old Firehouse Books owner Susie Wilmer.

She says the extra business is welcome, especially during a recession that saw her growth drop 8-percent last year.

“I need a book. Why not?” laughs mob member Trinity Bigford.

She says helping local businesses is no problem.

“It’s better than going out and spending $10 on beer or drink or something. And supporting a local business, especially book stores in this day and age you know, it’s so easy to buy books online that people don’t come to bookstores very often,” says Bigford.

The first plaid mob happened at the Fort Collins food co-op last month.

“We did over $1,000 in one hour, which is really good and about double the traffic we normally do in one hour,” says food co-op employee Caroline Tracz.

So instead of dancing, they open their wallets, and move the economy, each spending a little to make a big difference.

“If you just do $20 a month with local businesses you are going to see that results in a nicer community. You have better streets, we’re not hurting to pay firefighters or police, we’re not having layoffs at city hall,” says Wilmer.

Old firehouse books made about $650 for the hour that the plaid mob was there.

That’s compared to $153 last week at the same time.

The group asks mob members to bring cash. They’re working to educate the public that using credit cards requires the merchant to pay fees that take away from their bottom line.

Food co-op said last year it paid $22,000 in credit card fees.

To be considered for a plaid mob you have to belong to the group “Be Local Northern Colorado.”

They’ll do a plaid mob every third Tuesday of the month.