A social media initiative encouraging city dwellers to #buyfromthebush this Christmas has helped a Guyra business.
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Bronwyn Grills, of Brisk Trading, 104 Bradley Street, said she has sold tea and baskets, and had inquiries about Christmas hampers from people in Sydney.
"It's exciting and reassuring that people who aren't in regional areas really do want to help," she said. "And this is a way they can; the drought affects farmers, but it also affects every business in a regional area."
Mrs Grills said the #buyfromthebush contacted her to ask if they could share a photo from her instagram account.
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Grace Brennan from Warren, north-west NSW, set up the initiative on social media after a friend said she would buy Christmas presents from the bush. Within nine days, the Instagram account had reached more than 40,000 followers.
"Everyone is taking it on, and feeling responsible for sharing," Ms Brennan said. "It's a practical way of showing that they care."
Some boutiques, she said, had sold out of products, and others had seen big spikes in their sales.
Mrs Grills said people had called or messaged her to say : "I'd like to buy something; I live in Sydney, and I'd like to support your business."
"And so," Mrs Grills said, "they've been shopping at places they normally wouldn't; rather than shopping at David Jones, they're ringing up these little country businesses, and buying things from us."
Mrs Grills will launch her own website soon, and start a pop-up shop in Armidale in the former DJ's Foodie Bliss, on the corner of Faulkner and Beardy Streets, at the end of November.
She started her shop in mid-November last year. Quite a lot of businesses had closed down, and she was worried about Guyra.
"We're farmers; we'll be here forever. We have daughters; I'd like them to think that they could come back here later on if they choose to, and I'd like them to be able to come back to a thriving town. So I thought I have to do my bit to help that happen."