It’s the shopping season, and you’re probably hearing messages from all sides about where to shop and what to shop for and how to shop. There are the big ads promising one sale after another at national chains, there are the neighborhood boutiques promising exquisite – and free – gift wrapping, there are all the museums pleading that you shop in their stores to show your support for their work, there are companies promising to give a portion of the proceeds from their sale to the World Wildlife Fund or some other noble cause that pulls at your heartstrings. And then, there’s the shop local campaign.

It’s a given that you can shop where you want and when, but the people at the Washington D.C.-based Institute for Local Self Reliance will tell you that by shopping at locally-owned businesses, you keep your dollars in your town. The sales taxes you pay come back to you through City services and community development. And local stores often have a better sense of what the community wants, which means that the product diversity will work in your favor -- in your town. And let’s not discount the charm factor here. Mom and pop stores help maintain a town’s unique character. Bay Street in Emeryville and Santana Row in San Jose feel a lot like each other, not that there’s anything wrong with that. But College Avenue or Old Oakland feel very much like no other place in the Bay Area. And there's more, says Samee Roberts, manager of the City of Oakland's Cultural Arts and Marketing Division.

"People seem to want an alternative to chains – not to mention lower prices – as evidenced by the fact that in-store mall/chain shopping right after Thanksgiving increased only slightly over last year while online purchases were up 14 percent," says Roberts.    

So it’s no surprise that the City of Oakland and the Oakland Merchants Leadership Forum, a group that represents local retailers, have decided to push forward their Shop Oakland/Oakland Grown campaign with the new Oakland Grown website. The colorful and attractive site guarantees to connect you - the shopper - with all things independent and Oakland, such as restaurants (including Michelin-rated ones) and shops (with details of when they offer free gift wrapping and complimentary wine) and events (like the Holiday Buy Night coming up this week on Thursday and Friday in Jack London Square, December 10 and 11).  It’s Oakland’s shopping map, which is exactly what a city like Oakland, which has shops spread out across each neighborhood, needed.

The site’s founding members include Oakland City Council President Jane Brunner, the City of Oakland’s Cultural Arts and Marketing department, popular Oakland stores like Entrez! Open House and Paws and Claws, and community foundations like One California Foundation. If consumers sign up to become members, they’re offered a range of benefits from discounts to networking opportunities, based on whether they’re businesses or individuals.

Going forward, the site plans to be a destination for those looking to shop and eat in Oakland. "After the holidays and into the early part of 2010, we are looking to add info on Oakland nightlife, bar bites (noshing), breakfast/brunch spots, cafes/coffee houses, major upcoming events, new and cutting edge shops and merchants, and of course, keep the blogs, reviews, news articles and other features current – including the already popular Late Night Eats section," says Roberts.

Browse the site: oaklandgrown.org It’ll make you want to shop Oakland.