Over the past months, we have been working with Thai Spoons, Scoopzilla, Rachel the Photographer, Corazon, and FloMask to look more into our local businesses. With this Buy Local campaign, we have brought the community information on how you can and why you should buy local. We hope that you can take the contents of our campaign and use it to raise awareness and support local businesses. Here are just some of the things we went over:
Why You Should Buy Local
Buying local helps the local economy. By purchasing goods or services at a nearby place, you are keeping your money and tax in your community, which supports growth in that area. This promotes diversity in options. Less large chains will be populating the community if local businesses can sustain themselves. These small businesses vary from what they sell, which gives each of them a unique quality and overall brings diversity to the community. It also can reduce our negative environmental impact. Most small businesses use fewer materials and waste to create their products compared to large chains. They also source their materials from local vendors that typically have less of an environmental impact from larger production facilities.
Buying Local During the COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 has impacted small business in many ways so it's, more than ever, important for us to support them. We can support many local businesses by shopping online, but not all have the ability to make a digital switch. Of course, we still are in a pandemic so supporting local business physically isn't too safe anymore. When going out, make sure you follow CDC guidelines on safe outing practices. This includes wearing a mask, social distancing, and actively practicing hygiene. Follow any restrictions the place you are shopping at has. If you feel sick with any symptoms of COVID-19 or general influenza virus, then stay at home to reduce the risk of potentially spreading the virus.
The Power of a Consumer
A consumer is someone who orders or purchases goods or services for a non-business use. Being a consumer comes with many responsibilities. As consumers, we are the ones who can change the way business is done based on where we shop and what we demand. Do your research before you shop at places to see if they fit your morals and wants. It's important to shop at places that are sustainable to our environment and practice corporate social responsibility. This way, we can reduce our environmental footprint and show that our demands and purchases go towards companies and brands that support good practices. This is known as Consumer Sovereignty, a pillar in the American Enterprise system. It states that it is the consumers that dictate the production of goods and services.
Follow us on our social media if you want to see more posts about our campaign. Feel free to review previous blog posts for more insight on the power of buying local, consumer rights, COVID-19, local gift ideas, and more. It has been our pleasure to work towards raising awareness on the importance of buying local, and we thank you all for your support!