BRIGHT red and yellow banners - with two short words emboldened on each - will soon be hanging from the shopfronts of Warwick businesses, urging shoppers to do one thing: shop local.

The shop local banners, window cards and door stickers are the result of a joint project between the Warwick Chamber of Commerce and Southern Downs Regional Council, which began earlier this year.

Business owners are now able to collect their merchandise to display from Rose City Shoppingworld management, Suncorp Bank, Graeme Collins Automotive, Better Built and council offices in Fitzroy St.

Chamber of Commerce president Dave Littleproud said he hoped the merchandise would bring awareness to the Southern Downs shoppers to spend their money locally.

"Conditions are tight - consumer confidence (is low), people are unsure about the future and there have been some businesses hurting," he said.

"People are really conscious of what they're spending and we just want to encourage that what they do spend, they spend locally.

"These banners are about getting brand awareness out there and hopefully businesses will come and pick up a few banners and put them out on display."

Bank of Queensland and Pure Heaven are some of the businesses already displaying the positive message.

Rose City Shoppingworld manager Jason Gard said the difficult economic times were being felt throughout the shopping centre.

"We're not seeing the growth we should expect at this time of the year," he said.

"We normally see things pick up in the second half of the year, leading into Christmas and especially after tax time, but it hasn't happened yet.

"We're seeing some growth (in sales), but nothing like what we anticipate. But people move on and get back on their feet."

Southern Downs Regional Council economic development officer John Randall said supporting local businesses would feed back into the local economy.

"Retail is the biggest employer in Warwick - if people buy local products, they support local jobs," he said.

"That is evident especially in the lead-up to Christmas and school and university holidays, where young people come back to Warwick for employment."

Mr Randall said he hoped to see the whole of the region "aflutter" with the banners and window cards soon.

"The good thing about doing this in Warwick is we've got about 250 businesses to participate, and it's something that can easily get everyone pulling in the same direction," he said.

"It just amplifies the importance of the message with the more businesses who participate."

Shop local campaign

• Designed to encourage communities to spend money at local businesses.
• Joint initiative of Southern Downs Regional Council and Warwick Chamber of Commerce.
• Banners and window cards available for businesses to collect at a number of locations.