This year we have been hearing about
“Shop Local” campaigns. So far we have discovered that these campaigns are in
place throughout suburbs of Sydney, Melbourne, country towns throughout NSW and
parts of the United States. Essentially this campaign suggests that whenever
possible a consumer purchases goods or products from a local or locally-owned business.
There are many reasons that this
campaign is gaining momentum.
- Environmental; rather than driving to the large shopping centre to make purchases, you call into your local shopping strip as part of your daily travel arrangement, or you walk, as part of your daily exercise routine. This reduces our individual contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
- Social; shopping locally gives you a chance to interact with your immediate community.
- Economic; Local businesses often have specials in place that are competitive with the prices offered by big business. Research from the US showed that “Every $100 spent at locally owned businesses contributes an additional $58 to the local economy. By comparison, $100 spent at a representative national chain store in Portland yields just $33 in local economic impact.’ [1]
- Service; Local business owners have made a choice to own a business in your community, they are keen to develop a relationship with you, not just to sell you something.
- Choice; Product lines are gradually disappearing from supermarkets, hardware chains & variety stores, to be replaced by home-brands. Customer choice of product is being gradually eroded. Support of local businesses is a vote for choice. It ensures that the food production and manufacturing in Australia is not dictated by and dominated by faceless, nameless executives in offices in major cities in Australia, or other parts of the world.
So, in the future, when you need to go
shopping, THINK LOCAL. Think about the choice you are making. Are you choosing
to support your local economy, your local food producers, your local tradesmen,
and your local community? Or are you choosing to line the pockets of big
business and internationally owned companies? Your shopping choices are
determining the future of our world and our children’s world.
I read this in our local free newspaper yesterday. Well done!
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