We get it, online shopping is easy and big, national chains are often a short drive from your house. While these are simple options, they may not necessarily help your community, including local businesses. Sure, you may find some good deals with the national chains, but why not shop for those deals locally?
Keep money local
Shopping locally keeps your money in the area, helping to support your community. Those businesses can keep the lights on, grow and hire local workers. They also pay local taxes which supports your local economy – it is a win-win situation!
Fight blight
Have you grown tired of seeing empty, run-down strip malls and business centers? Large chain stores come in, drop prices, and take business away from local stores. When the local stores cannot compete, they close down, and the large chain stores ramp up their prices. In time this causes large, run-down business areas and local communities with fewer choices and higher cost goods. Buying from local retailers helps to fight blight like this.
Support local artisans and tradespeople
When you shop locally, you are also supporting local artisans and tradespeople. This puts money into local business, but also creates a demand for high-quality, locally made products. Not only are you helping a local company keep the lights on, but you are also uplifting skilled workers and artisans within your community. You are also more likely to find creative, fun, and unique items this way. It is easy to see that there are no downsides to spending your money locally. So, as we approach the holiday shopping season, do not forget to show your support for all those hard-working local companies that keep our towns thriving.
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