Shopping locally is currently more important than it has ever been. Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, countless businesses had no choice but to temporarily close due to the lack of customers and sales being made. During the pandemic, Goldman Sachs' created a survey which was then answered by 10,000 small business owners in the UK, and the results showed that two thirds saw their revenue decrease, and while 44% had to cut jobs, 62% were able to continue trading with no interruption. Following this, the Sunderland Echo also conducted their 'Big Conversation' survey. In response to the survey, 43% said they were supporting local businesses a lot more since the pandemic began, and 73.7% said that they agreed with the statement that 'the Christmas period would be a good opportunity to support small, local businesses.' Fast forward to December 2021, we have since welcomed the re-opening of shops, and importantly, our local businesses. In today's society, how we approach shopping is ever-changing, but the benefits of shopping local remain the same - but why is shopping locally so important?
Local businesses often source their products locally, helping reduce their carbon footprint in the process. Businesses shopping for their goods locally means that the money goes into another local business, therefore helping others in the community along the way. As well as this, if you were to shop locally, you may be likely to walk or cycle to the destination, rather than for example taking the car, this reducing air pollution as well as exhaust emissions.
A Better Experience
Small, local businesses are often run by people who live local, and are part of the community. Due to the pandemic, shopping in store became a rarity for a lot of people, as well as having the opportunity to spend some time talking to someone. With these businesses being back up and running, shopping locally let's people of the community connect like we once did and offers a sense of normality, letting you as the customer be greeted with a friendly face.
Helping The Local Economy
Shopping locally pumps money into the local economy, as well as letting these businesses grow to a larger scale, which would potentially lead to more customers, this then leading to more money, and so on. By spending money in your local shop, restaurant, or café, you are doing your bit towards getting the local economy back up and running after the result of the pandemic, creating a stronger community in the process.
Saving and Creating Jobs
Supporting local businesses creates jobs for the local community, often supporting young and disadvantaged people to find employment. Helping to grow the number of jobs in our local community and area makes for a better place to live, work, and thrive, in the process creating a healthy economy.
A Safe Way To Shop
When shopping locally, the products are often sourced locally, so when buying from small businesses you know exactly where everything is coming from. For example, if the local business sells products like fruit and vegetables, and they have been sourced locally, you as the customer are able to find out where they were grown, how they were grown, etc. On the other hand of feeling safe, a lot of people still don't feel comfortable going into larger stores due to the the large number of customers. A lot of small businesses only allow a certain number of people to enter the store, paired with having to follow a one way system, therefore making shoppers feel safe at all times, which perhaps isn't something large supermarkets can supply for their customers.
Spoilt For Choice
Small and local businesses often source products which are made locally and perhaps aren't available to buy elsewhere, this creating a great range of choice and unique products which bring variety to the community, this appealing to a larger audience of customers - including rare finds and products which aren't mass produced.
Great Deals
While the larger supermarkets like Morrisons and Tesco continuously compete with their product prices, local and independent businesses have been known to often reward regular customers, while others often provide deals that can not be found in larger stores, again like supermarkets - meaning customers save money as they spend. On the other hand, if a local business were to charge more for a product than a supermarket typically would, it may be due the product being of a higher quality, as well as knowing exactly where it came from, which I believe is a good compromise.
You Make More Thoughtful Purchases
With online companies like Amazon, buying products on impulse is something we are ultimately all guilty of. One of the many positives to shopping locally from independent sellers is that it makes your more conscious of your purchasing. Shopping locally and buying something in which only that specific seller sells allows you to put more thought into the product, rather than if you were to buy it from a large retailer. It's unique, original, and is most likely something they don't already own. As well as this, you are probably less likely to buy something you never set out to purchase in the first place.
With the endless positives to shopping locally, why not start right now with us?
Emma Wallace
Sunderland College
Comments
Post a Comment