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22 SHOP LOCAL HOLIDAY GUIDE • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, November 27, 2020
The various advantages to shopping locally
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esidents of a given town or city are often encouraged to support local businesses by looking to these firms to fill their needs. Small businesses are not just integral parts of communities, employing millions across the country, they also are operations that fund the very communities they service.
43 percent of every $100 spent at a chain retailer stays in the community. Job creation: The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies says local businesses create the
Efforts to promote shopping local appear to be working. According to the Commonwealth Financial Group, over the last several years there has been a shift in consumer purchasing behavior marked by a preference among consumers to support locally owned shops and stores over big-box retailers and even online shopping. The following are some key reasons why shopping locally not only benefits small business owners, but also the communities they call home and the customers they serve. More money stays in the community: According to the American Independent Business Alliance, for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 remains in the community. Conversely, only
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majority of economic growth. They employ millions of Americans by creating roughly two-thirds of private sector jobs. Local business owners also tend to hire people who represent the demographics of the
communities where the business is located, which may include historically underserved populations. Diversity of products: Local stores tend to diversify their products and services to meet the needs of the local communities, whereas chain stores often stock their shelves based on national demands. Personalized service: A small business owner may be more inclined to go to great lengths to make customers happy because the long-term success of the business depends on customers becoming repeat customers. Personal connection: Knowing the people behind a business facilitates a connection not easily achieved with other companies. Customers may celebrate when a favorite business succeeds and look to spread the word about that business because they feel like they played a positive role in its success. Shopping locally has gained momentum and is fueled by the many advantages to supporting local businesses.
Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, November 27, 2020 • SHOP LOCAL HOLIDAY GUIDE
How to support small businesses this holiday season
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he holiday season is an important one for small businesses every year, and it figures to take on heightened importance in 2020. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in late 2019 and early 2020 hit small businesses especially hard, with many being forced to close their facilities to customers in an effort to prevent the virus from spreading. Estimates regarding the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on small businesses varied, but many small business owners were forced to let go employees as they confronted steep declines in revenue. A ZenBusiness survey of more than 1,000 small business founders, senior managers and decision makers found that 37 percent of small businesses that employ between 11 and 25 people were considering laying off more than one-fifth of their workforce. As small businesses face difficult challenges, it’s no surprise that many consumers want to support locally owned small businesses this holiday season. Such support not only can help small businesses, but also can help to revitalize local communities. · Shop online. Online shopping has traditionally been dominated by big box retailers. However, many small businesses increased their e-commerce capabilities to generate revenue. Shoppers concerned about shopping in person this holiday season should explore the delivery and curbside pickup options available at locally owned
small businesses. Even businesses that have not traditionally been allowed to deliver, such as breweries and wineries, have been able to do so during the outbreak, giving consumers unlimited online shopping options. · Purchase gift cards. Gift cards take the guesswork out of holiday shopping, and such cards are easily shipped or even emailed to loved ones. That’s a significant benefit during the 2020 holiday season, when delivery times are expected to be lengthy. Gift cards to local businesses simplify holiday shopping, support small businesses and help shoppers avoid potential delivery delays. · Share your experience. Word-ofmouth is vital to small businesses at any time, and can be especially valuable as these companies try to overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak. Holiday shoppers can share their experiences with local businesses via social media. Share information about the lengths local small businesses have gone to in regard to safety measures, order fulfillment and their delivery and pickup efforts. Such sharing may compel neighbors and friends to follow your lead and provide vital support to local businesses in need this holiday season. Small businesses are the backbone of many communities, and the holiday season provides a great opportunity to support such firms as they look to recover from a difficult year.
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28 SHOP LOCAL HOLIDAY GUIDE • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, November 27, 2020
The environmental impact of shopping locally
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hopping at locally owned businesses benefits everyone from local business owners to the people they employ to the communities where they operate. As beneficial as shopping locally can be for small business owners and the communities where they operate, the planet is perhaps the biggest beneficiary of consumers supporting locally owned small businesses. The environmental impact of purchasing locally manufactured and sold products is significant. Consumers who choose to use their purchasing power to support local businesses may not realize just how much they’re helping the planet in so doing. Shopping locally reduces your “food miles.” Large grocery stores get much of their inventory from producers in other countries. Even stores that rely heavily on domestic producers may not limit their domestic partners to local farms. That means products
may be traveling thousands of miles before they end up on the shelves in local grocery stores. This is often referred to as “food miles,” and the more consumers can reduce their food miles, the more they help the planet. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions notes that transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions in the United States, so anything consumers can do to reduce the amount of fuel needed to get food from farm to table can greatly benefit the planet. Shopping at local grocers who source their foods from local farms is a simple and effective way to help the planet. Shopping locally conserves fuel. Much like shopping locally reduces reliance on producers who must travel thousands of miles to get their products on shelves in your community, it also reduces the time consumers spend in their vehicles. That conserves fuel and helps to reduce air pollution. That’s an easily overlooked benefit of
shopping locally, but one that should not be taken for granted. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, an estimated 150 million Americans are living in areas that do not meet federal air quality standards. Emissions from automobiles are a major source of the pollution that’s behind poor air quality, so anything consumers can do to reduce their fuel consumption, including shopping locally, can greatly benefit the planet. Shopping locally protects land from developers. Another way shopping locally benefits the planet is its link to
preserving local farms. When local grocers get their foods from local farms, that increases the long-term sustainability of those farms. If farms are sustainable, they’re more likely to remain in operation. Farms don’t just grow foods, they also provide habitats for local wildlife that helps maintain local ecosystems. That domino effect begins with consumers who support local businesses by shopping locally. Shopping locally pays numerous dividends, not the least of which are the many ways supporting local businesses benefits the environment.