Five years ago, I was a stay at home mom with three small kids. I shopped for groceries one day a week at a major retailer and planned meals a week in advance- based on their sales. I bought in bulk. I was a brand-name coupon clipper, an ad browser, a sale hound purchasing my kids clothing from big label clearance racks with a coupon in my hand. If they wouldn't give me the two discounts together, I probably wasn't going to buy it. I believed that if I paid full price for everyday products or household goods, I was getting ripped off. And books. Well, I love bookstores but couldn't imagine why they weren't matching Amazon's prices- I was certain someone was getting rich. Once the free shipping started, Amazon was my go-to unless I was already in an indie book store and they had a frequent buyer program I could sign up for.
I was raised by a single mom and I watched her pull off miracles to make sure we never went without. That thrifty shopper and shrewd consumer was born early in my childhood and I'll be the first to say that is hard to pay full price still...but I realized that I was complaining about "nothing in Jackson" and simultaneously guilty of not supporting anything but national companies that offered no uniqueness here. This began my slow reformation.
While my husband was appreciative of my resourcefulness, he would often say with a smile, "Well, you usually get what you pay for...". I was incensed that he would pay full retail for his work boots at Genco's or Miller's in downtown when he would spend his days walking in wet, muddy conditions completely trashing them. Week after week those boots would stand up and work harder than three cheaper or "on sale" pairs from "big" stores and I came to see that he was saving us time and money.
A couple other events happened in the past five years that made me sit up and realize that where I spend my money really matters. 1) A group of great friends began to move out of town for more "cultured" areas in the country. One had the audacity to name his band "Kicking Jackson" after his exit (and still plays under that name). I was a bit offended that someone's opinion of Jackson was that low. 2) I met a local farmer who changed my view on where food is grown and what being sustainable really means. 3) Nomad opened in downtown and gave me an understanding of what a tax base is from the other side of the counter- Not to mention a new understanding of "low prices".
Below you will find just a couple of considerations...More in-depth resources will be listed below for you, if you're a skeptic like me. BTW, my husband still buys his boots downtown and continues to get what he pays for. I'm a believer.
Top Ten reasons to Think & Buy Local First-
- Buy Local -- Support yourself: Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms -- continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.(Click here to see summaries of a variety of economic impact studies; these include case studies showing that locally-owned businesses generate a premium in enhanced economic impact to the community and our tax base.)
- Support community groups: Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.
- Keep our community unique. Where we shop, where we eat and have fun -- all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place. Our tourism businesses also benefit. “When people go on vacation they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.” ~ Richard Moe, President, National Historic Preservation Trust
- Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.
- Create more good jobs: Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our community, provide the most jobs to residents.
- Get better service: Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.
- Invest in community: Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.
- Put your taxes to good use: Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.
- Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy: A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.
- Encourage local prosperity: A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.
Resources:
http://www.civiceconomics.com/SF/
http://www.andersonvillestudy.com/
http://www.newrules.org/retail/midcoaststudy.pdf
http://www.bookweb.org/files/open/pdf/lamar.pdf
good thoughts. i will rebutt with saying that i think our good friends moved to charlotte for the same reason they moved to jackson...out of relationships-- and a church not so much for "more cultured" areas...heck they used to live in phoenix!
sure miss ya. call me sometime
Posted by: taryn | April 02, 2008 at 02:26 PM