<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"With yesterday&amp;#x27;s news that more brick and mortar stores than ever are on the verge of extinction, the arrival of the latest trend in shopping--the &amp;quot;cash mob&amp;quot;--is certainly a welcome concept. They&amp;#x27;re the next logical step up from flash mobs--y&amp;#x27;know, those organized-to-look-impromptu sudden floodings of people in a public place to help draw attention to a particular cause or event--and they&amp;#x27;re aimed to help small, locally-owned businesses get a boost in sales. This past Saturday, according to Reuters, &amp;quot;Wallet- toting activists gathered in as many as 200 mobs in the United States and Europe, with the aim of spending at least $20 a piece in locally owned businesses, according to the concept&amp;#x27;s founder, Cleveland lawyer Andrew Samtoy...the 32-year-old dreamed up the Cash Mob idea last year after spending time in Britain during summer riots that unleashed looting in cities including London, Manchester and Birmingham. His first Cash Mob, in Cleveland last November, brought around 40 shoppers packing in to the Visible Voice book shop, on a welcome spree in which each of them spent on average $40 within an hour-and-a-half.&amp;quot; The concept grew thanks to Facebook and Twitter, and now stores that don&amp;#x27;t have big budgets for marketing and promotions are reaping the rewards. The goal is to have each participant spend at least $20 on a given visit and connect with new people they wouldn&amp;#x27;t have otherwise met, keeping the shopping experience super-friendly within local communities while also supporting small businesses. Read the full article at Reuters to find out more, then tell us...would you participate in a &amp;quot;cash mob&amp;quot;? Do you think it&amp;#x27;s a good idea to help stimulate local economies? Discuss! PLUS... - Check out the JCPenney flashmob in support of Ellen DeGeneres AND! - A flashmob wedding ceremony you have to see to believe Photo: AFP/Getty Images"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/dressed/2012/03/cash-mobs-are-the-next-big-thi>