Shopping Local Supports Local Business
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Why does shopping locally matter?
(From our friends at Local First AZ!)
1. KEEP MONEY IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY
Studies have shown that up to four times more money stays in the local economy when those dollars are spent with local businesses than with national chains.
2. KEEP MONEY IN YOUR WALLET
There is a myth out there that local businesses are more expensive than national chains and online mega retailers. This simply isn't true, as products and services from local businesses are often times less expensive than the alternative. Do the research before making a purchase to make sure you're getting the best value.
3. FOSTER COMMUNITY PRIDE IN A UNIQUE SENSE OF PLACE
When you think of a neighborhood or city that you love, the reasons you tend to list are the local businesses that contribute to that character (e.g. the local restaurants that you visit all the time; the barber you've been going to since you were a kid). Local businesses contribute to a unique sense of place of a community that fosters community pride, and when people are proud of their hometown, they tend to care more, to volunteer more, to vote more, and give more. They even cheer a little louder when the home team wins!
4. SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY THROUGH LOCAL BUSINESSES
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance has found that local businesses tend to give back to their community more through charitable giving than national chain stores. Local businesses regularly give a higher percentage of their revenue back to the community than big box stores. So when you buy local, you're helping local businesses to have more resources to give back to your community.
5. CREATE JOBS IN YOUR COMMUNITY
When you support local businesses, you're creating demand for high quality and diverse jobs across the state. Local businesses in turn hire fellow local businesses in the community for products and services that they need to fulfill your orders and contracts. This "multiplier effect" creates and supports jobs throughout the state.
6. ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Local businesses are rooted in the communities they serve, so they tend to be more conscious about their own impacts on the environment much like the local economy. Additionally, shopping with local businesses that source their products locally can lead to a smaller footprint on the environment.
7. DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY
Communities with a large amount of diverse local businesses will offer more competition than communities with only a few large national chains. This kind of competition will keep prices low and force businesses to think in the best interest of consumers.
8. SUPPORT HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
A study published in the Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society found that people who live in communities where small, locally owned businesses are the norm are healthier than those who live in places where large corporations predominate. So when you buy local, you're helping to create healthier and happier communities.
9. ENJOY PREMIER CUSTOMER SERVICE
When you shop with local businesses, you're dealing with experienced staff and sales people who are experts in their field who will help you find the right product or service that you need. Local businesses depend on customer loyalty, and will do all that they can to retain you as a customer that will continue to frequent their business. This means a better customer experience when you buy local.
10. CREATE PROSPERITY FOR ALL
When local businesses are thriving, everyone wins. The economy is more diversified to prevent against economic downturns, there are more jobs to employ individuals across the state, and there is more opportunity for economic growth.