Editorial of December 14, 2023

If It’s Local, It’s for Us

We are deep into the giving season, and some, maybe most, of us are nearing the panic mode. So it’s probably a very good idea to take a stroll down our collective main streets, and side ones too, and peek into all the amazing shops that lay claim to our towns. There are gift shops, clothes shops, specialty shops, food shops and, interestingly enough, sports shops, all here for our inspiration and exploration, and all here to provide us with unique gifts, many locally made, proffered with a smile, in a pleasant atmosphere deplete of endlessly long waiting lines.

There is a difference in the terms “locally” and “local.” Shopping locally, which is grammatically correct, means shopping in one’s community, which is often filled as well with box stores and chains; shopping local, grammatically incorrect, but attaining its own in its reference, means shopping in stores that are locally owned. Whereas a little of the money spent in the box stores is returned to the community, almost all the money spent in the local store stays there, strengthening the community, paying the wages of the store’s workers, funding, through sales tax, local government services—parks, streets, police, libraries, fire departments, schools and even, if it exists, one’s own business, or one’s job. Buying local creates and keeps jobs for our friends and neighbors, contributes to improved public infrastructure, and invests in our community, both socially and economically. Buying local promotes regional growth.

While shopping local businesses does a great deal to stimulate the local economy, it also reduces the menacing carbon footprint. Local businesses tend to make more local purchases, which in turn require less pollution—and congestion-related transportation. Local businesses also tend to be situated inside towns, on or close to main streets, which reduces traffic and saves loss of habitat for our furry and feathered friends. According to the Small Business Administration, in 2019 the 30.7 million local, small businesses in the United States added 1.8 million new jobs and employed 47.3 percent of the private workforce. That is no small potatoes.

Further, these small businesses, which are owned by local community members, play a significant role in giving back to their local community by supporting a variety of not-for-profits—including charities, youth organizations, first responders, and cultural and environmental organizations. They donate, in fact, 250 percent more to such causes than their large business competitors. Small-business owners also value their customers. They know their clients and customers, and they know their products; we don’t have to wait forever to chat with them. They are, however, of a survival-of-the-fittest mentality, which allows them to become innovative entrepreneurs, conjuring new ideas, products, and events, and perfecting a pleasant and informative shopping experience to entice their clients and visitors and enhance their business.

So it’s time to cut back on the online purchases and take a cruise through our local shops, stopping by to replenish at a farmers market or a local restaurant, both filled with local food. There is also, as we all know, a hefty number of not-for-profits around here that would be ever thankful for some well-meaning donations or new members.

And, to top it off, your local newspaper is right here as well, the oldest weekly, in fact, in the country. Subscriptions are available for a lasting holiday gift; 52 of them, one every week of the year.

Encourage your friends and neighbors to think globally and shop small, support our local businesses and, ultimately, fund a better tomorrow.