Buy Local Day campaign calls on Nambour to ‘back local families and local jobs’

Tylor Harford at the May 7 Nambour Chamber Coffee Catch Up.

Local businesses have been urged to turn Nambour into a “region-wide buzz of activity” as Sunshine Coast Council pitched Buy Local Day 2026 at the Nambour Chamber of Commerce coffee catch-up on Thursday (May 7).  

Council Economic Development Officer Tyler Harford described Buy Local Day as “a region wide campaign to encourage local consumers to support local independent businesses” with the 2026 event to be held on Saturday 27 June.  Buy Local Day places a spotlight on local businesses and the benefits of spending locally.

The region-wide day of celebration is a call to action to encourage locals to prioritise local goods and services.  

“We’re really trying to instil in the community, what is that one thing you can purchase each day or each week that’s with someone local to support local families and local jobs and supporting the local economy,” Mr Harford said.

He stressed that business involvement would again be critical to the campaign’s success and outlined three main ways operators can get on board. 

First, businesses can download a free media kit packed with “social media assets, videos, captions for social media, posters, templates, all the works,” which can be used as a base for their own marketing. “It’s all there… there is that foundational base through the media kit, which you guys can get started,” he said. 

Second, council is running a social media video competition, with businesses invited to post 30-60 second clips for a chance to win a $5,000 marketing package, including “strategy, content creation and delivery,” and weekly features on council’s LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram channels. “The more businesses that post these videos online, then the further this Buy Local Day message spreads,” Mr Harford said. 

Finally, he urged operators to create in-store events or “activations” on the day. “Get creative with it. We want this day to be about you,” he said, suggesting colourful branding, kids’ activities, dance troupes and even using AI to brainstorm ideas.