Why Should You Shop Local?
We eat as locally as possible in this house, but we also like to shop locally. I have been happy to see more of these signs popping up in the downtowns that we have easy access to as well as in Philadelphia, our nearest major city. It’s also nice to see campaigns like Small Business Saturday by American Express held following the melee that is Black Friday.
 |
| Shop Local campaign signs that are popping up in small, local businesses |
In addition to local shopping being good for the local economy, you can’t beat how it feels to walk into a store and have the owner greet you by name and ask how your family is doing. We are fortunate enough to live in an area that we are able to walk, take a train or drive a short distance to reach many “mom and pop” shops. It’s enjoyable to go to a running store and know the employees and have them remember what your running needs are as opposed to buying sneakers at a large, anonymous sports store. It’s enjoyable to go into a small shop, such as one that specializes in olive oils or comic books, and have the owner ask you how your last purchase tasted or what you thought about the last issue. It’s enjoyable to dine at a local, non-chain restaurant and have the chef take the time to prepare a meal around your dietary needs or support a new place that sells delicious Indian food, the likes of which you’ve never had in your area before. It’s even more enjoyable to have gone to shops or a family owned gas station that they not only know you, but also your parents and grandparents because that’s how long they have been there. I just don’t get that positive vibe at the majority of chain stores that I have visited.
That’s not to say that I haven’t been to the local Buy Buy Baby often enough in the last 6 months that the word “Norm!” shouldn’t be shouted by employees when I enter. There are just some things that I can’t get locally at a small business. But, for those items that I can and when the opportunity to frequent a baby boutique is possible, I choose the boutique. I also feel that it’s better for the psyche to have the chance to take a stroll to go shop and get the endorphins going. You get fresh air, some Vitamin D and most probably a smile on your face in the process. So, take a look around your immediate neighborhoods. Could you get a local, artisanal gelato instead of a supermarket box of ice cream shipped from who knows where? Could you pick up some handmade soaps instead of grabbing a pack at the chain pharmacy? If so, maybe it’s worth the extra time to walk to that shop or the extra cash that you may have to spend to support small businesses and the families, artisans and businesspeople who run them. I know that I look forward to my next trip to the bike shop where our tires get filled for free because the owner knows my sister or to the dress shop, where I bought both my prom and wedding dresses, and the owner asks how those dresses looked on those special days.
{ 0 comments… add one now }
{ 1 trackback }