Rhode Island Foundation President and CEO Neil Steinberg, Karen Calkins of Twice Told Tales, Marta Martinez of Friends of Pawtuxet Village, Kristy Knoeble of Fellini Pizzeria, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung and Stephen Boyle of the Cranston Chamber of Commerce gathered at Fellini Pizzeria in Pawtuxet on Monday to launch a campaign to encourage Rhode Islanders to encourage Rhode Islanders to shop at locally owned businesses.

“Buy Local RI” offers businesses and consumers a central website where merchants can market their products and services and shoppers can find locally sold products, see a calendar of holiday-related events and promotions and even sign up for email about discounts and special offers.

“Patronizing local shops and restaurants has the potential to payoff in a big way. We are talking about money that each one of us is already spending, so no additional investment is required. The return can be spectacular as the cash circulates through our economy,” Steinberg said. “As these companies prosper, they will grow and put people back to work.”

Shifting just 10 percent of the purchasing that Rhode Island shoppers do from chains to independent, locally owned businesses has the potential to add $373 million to the state’s economy, according to a study commissioned by the Foundation. The study estimates that 57 percent of spending with locally owned retailers stays in the state’s economy, compared to just 13.6 percent of spending at major national chains.

Only locally owned Rhode Island businesses can list their companies on the Buy Local RI website, www.buylocalri.org.

Consumers can search by a number of fields including location, product or service and company name. There is no cost for businesses or consumers to use the website.

The Foundation took on the challenge of leading the campaign coming out of its Make It Happen RI economic development initiative, which brought together more than 300 business leaders to brainstorm ideas to create jobs and jumpstart the state’s economy.

City officials and local businesspeople joined the Foundation for the announcement at Fellini Pizzeria on Broad Street in Pawtuxet, which has its own slate of holiday shopping promotions.

“I have witnessed the power of small business as a positive, economic growth engine for the city of Cranston, and Small Business Saturday is an excellent way to continue that trend. I encourage everyone to support their local shops this holiday season,” Fung said.

Among the holiday-related promotions featured on the Buy Local RI’s website’s calendar are the “Main Street East Greenwich Stroll Shop Eat” events and the “Celebrate Xmas in Pawtuxet Village” on Dec. 6.

“We are extremely happy to be a part of the renewal of this initiative. Friends of Pawtuxet Village has been promoting Pawtuxet as a destination place to shop, eat and enjoy community events. Our goal is to raise awareness not only of what our little village has to offer, but to highlight the importance of supporting local businesses,” Martinez said.