Why Shopping Local MATTERS

I don’t know about you, but I always hear or see the words “Shop Local” on Instagram stories & Youtube videos, hashtagged on my feed and in blog posts. Recently, there’s been a spike in lists of local content creators and local businesses we should support.
Okay, so we should shop and support local, we get it…

But, do we really?

I would’ve mentioned in my relaunch post that shopping local has become important to me, specifically about two years ago – a few months after moving back to T&T. It became even more apparent during the last two to three months as a lot of my usual products weren’t as readily available from non local places because of the pandemic we are still currently facing.

I want to highlight the impact we have when you and I shop locally. What does it really mean when we do so? How does it benefit us as customers.
Here are five straight to the point reasons.

• Shopping locally keeps our wealth in our communities, which in turn strengthens our regional economy.
  Think about it, local businesses tend to get resources from other local businesses. Not to mention, they create jobs for people. They also tend to support our schools, local charities and local programs.

• It increases prosperity for the people around us, instead of going to international corporations.
  A lot of local business owners tend to be people we already know! We can clearly see the impact our purchases have – and isn’t that reason enough? They have invested in a career to serve us – the public, in a place we all call home.

• It increases knowledge of available resources.
  This goes back to me earlier saying I wasn’t able to access products. I was stressed that I wasn’t able to buy items internationally as easily. The truth is, shopping and supporting local means we become aware of what is immediately available to us. As well as, getting those products usually takes less time!

• We feel valued as customers.
  A lot of the time, our shopping experiences become more personal. Owners can tend to go above and beyond for us – something that we can’t necessarily put a price tag on. They sometimes even know our names! On the rare occasion, we’re even able to work out good deals (though I don’t suggest haggling the price of items). The experience usually becomes a bit more intimate and it feels good knowing that we’re valued.

• We can sometimes gain access to unique/special products.
  Shopping locally can introduce you to unique products! A lot of times, owners use their creativity and one of a kind skill set to put a unique twist on typically traditional products. It’s also easier to ask for customizations. Many of us enjoy owning one of a kind merch – I know I do!

I’m sure there are a ton more reasons to start shopping locally and investing in the businesses we find among us. These five reasons however, convinced me very early on. For these reasons, I now vow to post about a local business or service at least once a month on my blog. I hope to also build a list of local businesses and services that I trust. I am aware this will take time and money – but I’m up for the challenge!

Please understand that this does NOT mean I will stop purchasing from international companies completely – NO MA’AM! But instead, I intend to find a balance (like I have been doing), in purchasing both locally and globally.

So, with that being said, are you going to make an extra effort to #SupportLocal? I sure hope so! Help me and fellow readers to do so by commenting places and services we should check out! (Name of place, city/country.) I have a couple I’m excited to share so stay tuned! Also, if you agree or disagree with me, comment – we can peaceably discuss!

As always, I thank you so much for reading and sharing.
Charissa xx