Del Sol Looks Local

April 11, 2012  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Community/Charitable Support on April 12, 2012 Phoenix furniture retailer Del Sol Furniture and Local First Arizona have teamed to expand the non-profit's programs to more Spanish-speakers.

Local First promotes the benefits of shopping locally owned businesses.

The new movement, branded Fuerza Local, held its first event on  April 2 at Del Sol Furniture's newest location on 83rd Avenue and Indian School in Phoenix. More than 50 business owners, community leaders and politicians attended the gathering. 

With Hispanics forming nearly 30 percent of Arizona's population and growing, the future health of the state's economy depends ever more on the Hispanic consumer. The Local First Arizona/Fuerza Local movement seeks to promote the benefits of consumers shopping at locally-owned businesses. Some estimate that for every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $73 re-circulates within the local economy; compared with $43 out of $100 when shopping at a national chain. This shift translates to more local jobs, higher wages, more donations to local charities and higher tax revenue in government coffers. 

The April 2 event focused on introducing owners of Hispanic businesses to the Local First philosophy. Founder Kimber Lanning was on hand to tell how Fuerza Local came about.

"I made several presentations to Hispanic business coalitions, but my message wasn't resonating," Lanning said.

Rosa Macias, owner of Del Sol Furniture and member of the Fuerza Local steering committee gave a presentation on the topic of preserving family, education and culture, which resonated with the group of entrepreneurs.

"As an immigrant family, we have worked to adapt to this society through education and helped others do the same, as our own business has adapted, our customers are adapting to a new way to live, work and consume and I think Fuerza Local is a great opportunity to bring our community together and improve our economy," she said.

The Fuerza Local steering committee plans a routine of regular meetings, as well as more marketing through print and radio to grow the movement. Bilingual materials and campaigns are being promoted to encourage consumers to shift 10 percent of their purchases to local businesses to benefit the Arizona economy.
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Opened in 1997 as Muebleria Del Sol by Venancio and Rosa Macias, Del Sol Furniture has grown to four valley locations including Red Tag Furniture at Arizona Mills Mall, which coincided with a rebrand from a mostly Hispanic market segment to a more general consumer reach. The company has evolved into a second generation family-owned furniture retail business with son Alex Macias and Daughter Minerva Macias-Maestas now at the helm.