Everyone knows that spending local is good.
Exactly why?
For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 dollars returns to the local community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays here. Spend it online and NOTHING COMES HOME.*
The exacts of the numbers you can look up. I would bet that it's even more of a disparity for towns like ours that don't really have 'national chains'. You pretty much have to go somewhere else when you don't by locally, which pretty much blows the whole "spend local" point.
Online shopping is convenient, we don't have all the services and amenities one person needs... but if you make an effort to buy at least certain groceries, meals, drinks, gifts, hair cuts, auto service, and other available things and services here it is helping yourself. If you want the streets fixed or projects done, you MUST spend what you can here.
*http://www.the350project.net/home.html
The economy sucks, and everyone is feeling it. So are your local businesses. It hurts us all, but if we try to help each other, we all do better. I can save money if I go buy something at the national box store, but they care nothing about their own employees, let alone my friends and neighbors; they do nothing to help my town, and they care nothing about doing what is right,just what puts more money in their already bulging pockets
ReplyDeleteThere are exceptions... but not many.
ReplyDeleteI understand if Malvern doesn't have a tv or sofa, head on up to NFM or Best Buy if you have to. But there are 'local' options in other towns that would appreciate it a whole bunch more than those guys do.