Oro Valley residents spent an estimated $1.18 billion shopping and dining outside town limits in 2024. The town government wants to recover a share of that spending.
The Town of Oro Valley and the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce launched Shop Oro Valley, a campaign encouraging residents to spend locally first, KVOA reported Wednesday, Oct. 28.
The initiative grew out of a March 2025 retail leakage analysis that found residents in three Oro Valley ZIP codes made roughly 13.4 million shopping and dining trips outside town during 2024. That spending represented about $17.2 million in potential local sales tax revenue the town did not collect, according to KVOA.
Local sales taxes account for about half of Oro Valley's general fund revenues, the town's leakage study noted. The town collected more than $16 million in retail, restaurant, bar and remote sales taxes in fiscal year 2023-24, according to Tucson Local Media's Explorer News.
Where the money goes
Oro Valley has no car dealership. Residents spent $195.85 million at outside auto dealers in 2024, the study found. They also spent $125.2 million at general merchandise stores, $101.6 million at gas stations and $83.9 million at building material dealers outside town, according to the Explorer News.
Paul Melcher, the town's community and economic development director, told the Explorer News in coverage published in June 2025 that even small shifts matter. A 1% recapture of the $776 million spending gap, money that left town on goods with local alternatives, would mean $7.76 million in Oro Valley sales and about $194,000 in recaptured sales tax, based on the town's 2.5% local-option rate, Melcher said. "If you want the services, you've got to pay for them," Melcher told the Explorer News in that coverage.
Four pillars and a new website
The campaign is organized around four categories: Shop, Dine, Play and Live. A new website, ShopOVAZ.com, serves as a directory where residents can find local businesses.
Participating businesses register, display provided signage and reinforce the campaign message, according to the ShopOVAZ.com business page. No discounts or promotions are required. The site states the program "is not a coupon or loyalty program." The Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce provides a dedicated business liaison to work with participating shops and restaurants.
The initiative covers all Oro Valley businesses, according to KVOA, including family-owned shops, franchises, national retailers and professional services.
What's next
Residents can browse the directory and learn more at ShopOVAZ.com. The town's leakage study also recommended recruiting specific retailers and restaurants to fill gaps in the local market, according to the town's analysis document.
