For every $100 spent in locally owned stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spend that same $100 in a national chain only $43 stays in your community. That's according to a program called the 3/50 project, a movement to encourage people to support the brick and mortars our nation was built on. But some people argue that national chains offer better deals and more convenience. If you need some more convincing that shopping local is important, keep reading for five reasons you should support your hometown entrepreneurs.
Maintain Your Community's Character
If you're away and longing for something that feels like home, you can easily walk in to just about any Walmart, Target or Walgreens and feel like you're in a familiar place. While there's something good about always knowing where to go to find the toothpaste or garbage bags, there's something bad about that too. If chain stores start to swallow up your locally owned shops and boutiques your community will lose its sense of character. It will start to look like every other strip mall in every other suburb on the map. Supporting local businesses means you're supporting what makes you unique.
Get Good Deals
Michele Woodward owns The Runway, a clothing boutique in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina. Woodward believes some people head to national chains because they think the deals are better, but she says that's not necessarily true. "People don't realize that many small, local stores offer competitive pricing to many bigger box stores and that our selections are carefully edited to the location that we are in," Woodward says. "We're here everyday working with customers and can gain great insight into what people want."
Boost Local Economy
A recent study from the Institute of Local Self-Reliance examined 15 locally owned New Orleans businesses and compared their impact on the economy to the impact of an average SuperTarget store. The study discovered that only 16% of the cash spent at a SuperTarget stays within the local economy. But the money spent at local retailers returned double that to the local economy. Why? Because local stores tend to purchase goods and services from other local businesses. Big name retailers don't.
App Makes it Easy
While there are plenty of resources for big box stores, brick and mortars were often struggling to get noticed. Cinda Baxter of The 3/50 Project is changing that with the new LookLocal app, a free app that just launched in August. “The goal is to put locally owned, independent brick and mortar merchants right in your hand, regardless of where you are at the moment,” explains Baxter in a news release. “No one remembers to grab a brochure that lists businesses when they walk out the door, but who leaves home without a phone?” The free iPhone app helps you locate mom and pop businesses whether you're at home or on the road.
Local Business Supports Local Causes
A study completed at Oregon State University 20 years ago looked at charitable giving among companies. While the study is fairly old, its findings are likely still relevant today. It found that small businesses with fewer than 100 employees gave an average of $789 per employee while larger firms with more than 500 employees gave an average of $334 per employee. If you've ever had to ask for charitable donations you know it's often easier to gain support from local businesses than huge corporations. The more you shop at independent retailers the money they'll have to give away to local causes.
Now that you've got five reasons to support your locally owned retailers, now all you need is a reason to shop.
2 Responses to “5 Reasons Why You Should Shop Local”
All's Quail that Ends Quail!
The strongest selling point for me to support local is the money I give back to the community. I'd rather spends a little more and help my community than save a buck or two at a big chain store.