GOUVERNEUR -- Gouverneur-based Kinney Drugs is expanding its “Buy Local” program by partnering with more local vendors and producers to offer more local products in their stores.

“Our own communities produce an incredible assortment of quality products that may not have a lot of visibility,” said Jim Spencer, president of Kinney Drugs stores. “As a local, employee-owned business, we’re excited to help other local businesses gain exposure and grow by opening them up to a new customer base.”

This initiative gives Kinney customers an increased opportunity to support their local economies.

The goal of the “Buy Local” program is to help grow local economies by increasing sales for local vendors and producers while exposing Kinney Drugs customers to the different products that can be found right in their own backyards. Various regional products will be available on a store-by-store basis and will include unique local specialties such as maple syrup, dairy products, craft beer and baked goods, in addition to manufactured consumer products.

“Our ‘Buy Local’ program is an opportunity for us to connect with consumers on a local level and help keep money in local economies,” said Spencer. “We are proud to give our customers a hometown shopping experience with a selection of local products that are available without having to go to a bigger store farther away from their homes.”

Kinney Drugs news release says that more than 75 percent of shoppers bought groceries from non-grocers in 2013, according to a recent King Retail Solutions survey. Of those shoppers, 30 percent said they purchased groceries from a pharmacy, emphasizing a change in the retail industry and the shopper’s preference for convenience.

For more information and to see a complete list of participating vendors, visit www.kinneydrugs.com/buylocal.