AS with everything else, there are pros and cons with the decision to source the items you need, only from local companies. However, the benefits outweigh most of the negatives you can think of, which can include limited selection, and in some cases, higher pricing, particularly in regions that attract high rates of duty. Before you add that item to your online shopping cart, or grab an international brand off the shelf, here are some of the top reasons you should buy local.
1. It’s Convenient
When buying local, most of the time the products you want are available when and where you need them, which makes for quicker and easier access. If they are not, in most cases you can ask the store, or make a quick phone call to the distributor directly, and find out when the items will be available, or where you can pick them up if you need them urgently.
2. It’s a Growing Market
Buying local does not only mean not ordering items online… it means supporting local products in supermarkets, whether that relates to the pasta you decide to pick up ahead of Italian night with your family, soap and other related skin products for day to day use, or the desserts you choose to take home with you. There are an increasing number of local companies that produce the above mentioned and other products, many with quality standards that can rival some international brands.
3. You’re Helping Support Small Businesses
Life is tough for small businesses, especially businesses that are just starting off. Local businesses that produce specific products often have a hard time getting their products into stores or making ends meet, which directly affects the lives of the people who run them. Every time you buy a local product, you support the small business or the entrepreneur who created the particular product, thus helping with product or business growth.
4. Your Purchase May Help Feed a Family
As mentioned above, supporting small business is important. You not only help the businesses promoting the products, but the families they are working to support. Isn’t it incredible that your purchase is helping someone to feed their family, and with the sustenance of a family’s livelihood? Supporting our own is really the gift that keeps on giving.
5. You’re Helping to Provide Jobs
A significant number of jobs are provided by local businesses. With a simple purchase, you’re playing a small but important part in keeping a business going, which means that because of you, someone gets to keep their job that much longer, and that my friend, is all the reason you really need.