SHOP LOCAL FOR THE HOLIDAYS | GET INTO THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT
ART BY
RONNI HARRIS
why
local
matters
It’s easy to forget that shopping local helps your community and state
in many, many ways. From tax dollars to supporting mom-and-pop busi-
nesses, the benefits are myriad.
Spend local and more stays local
Numerous studies have analyzed the way money recirculates, and
most agree that money spent locally has a much higher chance of stay-
ing in the community.
A study commissioned by the British Columbia division of the Cana-
dian Union of Public Employees found that for every $1 million in sales,
independent retail stores generate $450,000 in local economic activity,
compared to just $170,000 for chains. Among restaurants, the figures
are $650,000 for independents and $300,000 for chains.
Across both sectors, this translates into about 2.6 times as many local
jobs created when spending is directed to independent businesses instead
of chains. The study concludes that a shift of just 10 percent of the mar-
ket from chains to independents would produce 31,000 jobs paying $940
million in annual wages to workers.
More stable jobs
GREAT DEALS
Businesses everywhere are offering sales and specials to at-
tract shoppers as the economy continues to recover. That’s es-
pecially true for small, locally owned mom-and-pop stores in
your community.
Browse the The Daily Astorian for ads from stores on the
North Coast to see what kind of deals they’re offering. Not only
will it help you save money, but it can also give you ideas for
what gifts to buy for people on your shopping list.
COMMUNITY
One of the great things about shopping locally is getting to
know people on a personal level.
By spending your money in your own community, you’re
helping your friends and neighbors who live in town and work
at small businesses.
You’re not dealing with out-of-town strangers who you’ll
never meet again. Instead, you’re more likely to recognize fa-
miliar faces you’ve seen before at the grocery store, at church
or at your workplace.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Some businesses seem to have lost the art of pleasing cus-
tomers.
When you shop at businesses in your own community,
though especially the locally owned stores that have built their
reputations on good, old-fashioned personal care – you’re much
more likely to get a great shopping experience.
PEOPLE WHO CARE
The idea of shopping somewhere with managers and em-
ployees who actually know their customers on a personal basis
may seem foreign, but that personal touch still exists in every
city in America.
THE WHOLE CITY BENEFITS
Where you choose to shop this Christmas doesn’t only mat-
ter to you and the shopkeeper. It also matters to your whole city.
You can bring a big win to your community by spending
your money locally, which supports the services residents enjoy
all year long.
12 • HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS 2016 • WWW.DAILYASTORIAN.COM
Economists at Yale University and the University of Bristol found
that in times of high unemployment, small businesses both retain and
create more jobs than large firms. During the recession of March 2008
to March 2009, the employment growth rate of large employers fell 1.65
percent more than the growth rate of small employers, compared with the
previous year. In every other recession and recovery period in the study’s
sample, large firms took years to recover relative to small firms.
It’s better for the community
A study by a professor at Baylor University found strong positive re-
lationships between local ownership, firm size and employee loyalty,
which they refer to as organizational commitment.
Using data from a nationally representative public opinion survey,
the study found that 57.2 percent of small firm workers scored in the
highest commitment category, compared to 40.5 percent of large firm
workers. They found a similar relationship for ownership, with 56 per-
cent of workers at locally owned firms having high commitment scores,
compared with just 38.7 percent of workers at non-locally owned firms.
When the researchers plotted the scores on a 16-point commitment
scale, the authors found that, together, the two civic measures accounted
for as much as a 1.7 point increase in organizational commitment, effects.