Spread the Joy, Shop Local!
The holidays are quickly approaching, and that means it's shopping season! I am a firm believer in retail therapy, and an expert in gift buying. That being said, I am no Black Friday shopper...In fact, I have never been. The crowds and the competition take all the fun out of what should be a fun filled day of thinking of others and stretching my shopping muscles. I refuse to enter Wal-Mart, and if I never stepped foot in a Best Buy again I would be a happy lady. So this year, I am going to try hard to go local!
What I love most is buying local, meaningful gifts. Buying local is more than just avoiding crowds; think about this before you dive into Target:
- For every $100 spent in locally owned stores, $68 returns to the community. If you spend that at a nation chain only $43 stays in your town. Spending it online and nothing comes home. – the350project
- National chains often bring loss of employment. The opening of a Wal-Mart reduces retail employment by an average of 150 jobs in the county of its location. - Elocal
- If the people of an average American city were to shift 10% of their spending from chains to local businesses, it would bring an additional $235 million per year to the community’s economy. - Elocal
Every local community could use more jobs and revenue, so make your dollars go further with your favorite local haunts. Not to mention helping the environment by skipping shipping green house gas emissions. Plus get this: Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses. So by buying local, you are also helping your community’s non-profits.
I asked twitter why they shopped local and here is what they said:
- I can usually find more unique and personal gifts, I love supporting local and not big name brands. Great customer service too @thetrvlprincess
- I live in a small town. Local shops are friends and neighbors. We all support each other. Local is more personable and trusting @barefootimports
- To support the local biz and keep our community. @speedytot
- I do because I feel like shopping local is helping me invest in my community. @letsgolakers086
This holiday season, patronize your local small businesses and spread the joy to your whole community.
Comments
I do agree with shopping local. For example in Cyprus because of the economic crisis, they encourage shopping for local produce to help boost the economy. I think us Americans we are focusing too much on guns and everything that they come with, such as biometric gun safes and accessories and the amount we pay is so large that we are wasting our money and help the economy in a bad way. Shop and think local!
Shopping locally could be both cost effective and good for the community and environment, because it supports local businesses and doesn't required fuel using transportation. Gillian London
Great post - and important topic. I think its really important to keep your money circulating within the economy as much as possible. Its a much more effective manner of local job creation AND, in my opinion, it helps to foster unique local culture.
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