AN INITIATIVE to help bush economies survive the drought and capture trade has been given the thumbs up by the region's retailers who say it is making a huge difference.
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Buy from the Bush is a social media page and hashtag that encourages people near and far to support country retailers doing it tough.
Cowra interior designer and owner of Unearthed Homewares, Ingrid Mansley, said #buyfromthebush has not only increased her sales but allowed her to provide more hours for her casual worker.
Tea towels from her store was featured on the Buy from the Bush's Facebook page and the impact was immediate.
"I've had this huge influx of likes on my page and I sold out that evening," Ms Mansley said.
"It blew me away, it's been absolutely amazing."
Parkes mother and daughter duo Cath and Lucy King have run their store Mama Bear for the past eight years and said Buy from the Bush has changed everything.
"Within 24 hours [of being featured on social media] we had 80 orders online," she said.
"This never happens, we might get 10 orders a week.
"I even had an order from [journalist and presenter] Ben Fordham."
Mama Bear's handmade clothing, accessories and giftboxes have been featured twice on Buy from the Bush's social media sites, with the second feature resulting in just as many sales for the duo.
In Forbes, Painted Daisies Gift Shoppe owner Janet Callaghan has had a similar reaction from the campaign.
"I had a lady from overseas contact me who wanted a gift voucher for Christmas," she said.
"Even if they're not coming out to Forbes, they're buying online.
"Buy from the Bush has been fantastic."
Young man Jock Pattinson said the drought is not only impacting farmers, nearby towns are quiet with less money being spent and retailers struggling.
"Regional areas have a lethargic kind of feel ... it's a real life-sucking thing," he said.
Along with his brother Clancy, the duo run Tents 'n' Trees which make reusable Christmas trees and also sell pop-up tents for picnics or the beach.
Jock said the Buy from the Bush campaign had created a greater awareness of the drought in metropolitan areas.
"Within 24 hours of being featured [on the campaign's social media site] we'd received 110 orders," he said.
"It's been an incredible thing and we're incredibly proud to have been a part of it."
Cootamundra woman Anne Faulks said people across Australia were now "finding" her gift and homewares stores called Wrapped because of the initiative.
"A school in Brisbane found us through Buy from the Bush and ordered end of year gifts from us," she said.
Ms Faulks encouraged the community to continue to support its local stores and said every dollar that stayed in the region was a huge benefit.
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