I’ve been trying not to shop or eat at chain restaurants/stores for a while now with varying degrees of success. I’ve always felt local shops & eateries offered a more personalized experience and felt that somehow I was contributing toward a greater goal. So I was greatly encouraged when I read an article in Independent Dealer Magazine about a study by the Civic Economics Research Organization. The study compared the impacts of Arizona independent office products dealer, Wist Office Products, to a national chain and found the local dealer delivered almost 3 times the economic benefit. Here are some reasons why:
- Local businesses are more likely to buy from local vendors where chains buy through national contracts.
- Local businesses employ local accounting, purchasing, and customer service workers where chains typically centralize or outsource overseas. These local citizens in turn support local churches, restaurants, & retailers.
- Local businesses use more local services such as legal, accounting, & cleaning.
- Public institutions also benefit as more taxable transactions occur locally.
Big advertising budgets make chains more visible and local businesses a little harder to find. And sometimes it’s hard to pass up a low price import when trying to make ends meet, but the bigger picture seems to indicate that local is the way to go for long term economic health. What do you think? Comment below.
