On Saturday, shoppers came out in droves for the first ever International Cash Mob day—a social media-driven movement that has rallied consumers to give local businesses a boost.
The concept is simple: Participants pledge to spend at least $20 at a given business, which is usually promoted via Twitter and Facebook.
The idea for cash mobs has been around for a while. The first event of its kind went down in Buffalo, N.Y. on August 5.
A Cleveland lawyer named Andrew Samtoy is credited with creating the official Cash Mobs movement in November, reports Reuters' Kim Palmer.
Since then, the concept has ballooned to a worldwide group comprising of about 197 mobs, according to the Cash Mobs' site last count.
Over the weekend, shoppers showed up to support pizzerias and chocolatiers in cities like San Diego, Kansas City, and Brooklyn, N.Y..
The most successful group by far was a 300-strong mob that hit Cleveland. In just three hours, the group spent $9,000 at a local health food store, according to the Cash Mobs site.
Anyone can start a cash mob. To get started on your own, here are a few simple rules per Cash Mobs:
1. Start a Cash Mob twitter handle.
2. Figure out the business(es) you want to mob.
3. Talk to the business owner to set the mob up.
4. Talk to a bar or restaurant nearby and convince them to set up an "aftermob."
5. Set up a Facebook invitation to get the word out.
6. Organize with local organizations and the city, if you can.
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