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Buy Local And Support Your Community
Benefits of shopping and buying local
The British High Street is in serious decline - the impact of the recession and the inexorable rise of online shopping has seen the closure of thousands of local independent shops every year along with the collapse of major national retail chains leaving our town centres littered with empty premises contributing to urban blight and an increase in anti-social behaviour.
As small individual shops have closed in their thousands over the last 20 years to be replaced by more identikit branches of national chains we are ending up with clone towns across the country with no real individuality or character.
But something can be done to reverse this damaging trend which impoverishes local communities, restricts consumer choice and has a significant negative impact on the environment. YOU can help to enhance, enrich and ensure the long term viability of YOUR local community by making a deliberate choice to buy from retailers in your local area and use local businesses for your goods and services.
Here are the many concrete benefits of shopping and buying in your local area:
We know from research that for every £100 spent in a local business, £68 is likely to stay in the area as opposed to only £43 when spent in a national business. Owners and employees of local businesses spend their money in the local area supporting other businesses and they pay business rates to their local authority.
Local shops are more energy efficient than huge superstores - it would take more than 60 greengrocers to match the carbon dioxide emissions from just one average superstore. Buying from a local business also conserves energy and resources in the form of less fuel for transportation, less packaging, and products that you know are safe and well made, because local shops stand behind them.
Local shops pick the items they sell based on what they know their customers like and want. Independent retailers carry a wider array of unique products because they buy for their own individual market, unlike chain branches who all stock the same identical products whatever their location.
You are friends and neighbours of the owners of local businesses, and they have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. They have built up years of experience in their chosen field and are passionate about what they do. Why not take advantage of it?
You wouldn’t want your house to look like everyone else’s in Britain. So why would you want your
town to look that way? The more interesting and unique we are as a community, the more we will attract new neighbours, visitors and guests. This benefits everyone.
Your shops know you, and you know them. Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes, events and charities at more than twice the rate of chains.
Supporting local businesses means more choice and variety on the high street and creates more reason for
local authorities to support and invest in them by improving the infrastructure, transport links, leisure facilities and the local environment.
Creativity and entrepreneurship are crucial to the health our economy and our long term future. Nurturing local commerce ensures a strong, diverse and thriving business community.