Environmental Responsibility Series Part III: 8 Reasons to Buy Local

We believe firmly in buying locally if you genuinely want to support small businesses. This means supporting local businesses through personal and business spending and local solutions. Think about where your money is going and what that will mean for the local economy. If you are a business owner, are you spending your dollars in a way that supports your fellow local businesses? Food for thought…

This blog breaks down eight reasons why buying locally is the way to go for your business and others.

1. Support Environmental Sustainability 

Whenever you buy locally, you cut down on shipping and freight costs, reducing things like fuel used to transport your product. Did you know that international shipping and transport from the U.S. results in 11 billion gallons of fuel per year? (Source) If that number just caused your jaw to drop, it’s time to consider where you can be transferring your purchases locally. Bonus: local small businesses often are more invested in their environmental impact than large international businesses. Win-win. 

2. Elevated Customer Service

Have you ever noticed the customer service difference at a local small business versus trying to call a big company like Microsoft? Big businesses often send you a call transfer loop where you struggle to speak to an actual human being. Another perk of buying local! Superior customer service. Why? Because small businesses reap the direct benefits of treating you well as a customer. Win-win.

3. Keep Money Local

Spending your dollars locally, personally, or for your business supports the local economy. Guess what that means for your business? A more robust local economy with more dollars to spend and invest in companies like yours. Win-win. 

4. Save Your Own Money

This point doesn’t need much explanation. If you are a small business owner, you understand the power of every penny. Whether or not you own a business, we bet you wouldn’t mind saving some cash on your purchases. Buying products and services locally can often be cheaper than big national or global retailers (you’ll be surprised when you look into it). This is not to mention saving on costs like shipping, which may appear free, but are typically priced at the item level. Seriously, look at Windex on Amazon for example — it’s double the price of a brick & mortar store. 

5. Invest in Your Community

A true “localist” understands the value of investing in the community you live in. While there are many powerful ways to do this, one easy way is to buy locally. This supports your local businesses, which helps the local economy thrive, and ultimately welcomes growth and new options to the local economy. 

6. Local “Makers” are Much More Likely to Reuse Materials

Did you know 59.3% of local makers say they ‘occasionally or usually’ reuse materials, while 7% say they ‘always do’? (Source) Buying locally means you are a third-party participant in this recycling process. Pretty cool, right? 

7. Stimulate Your Local Job Market

When local businesses thrive through your local spending, they have more dollars to hire employees locally. Plus, thriving local businesses need products and services themselves to operate. When they spend locally, they stimulate other local companies. It’s a self-fulfilling cycle of prosperity when dollars are spent locally. When local businesses are thriving, everyone wins.

8. Help Diversify Your Local Economy

More local spending creates more options. When communities have a diverse offering of local businesses, this forces price competition (lower prices), benefiting you, the consumer. Win-win.

If case you aren’t convinced yet of the powers of local spending, we’ll leave you with one final staggering statistic: if every family in the U.S. spent an extra $10 per month at a locally owned, independent business instead of a chain, over $9.3 billion would be directly returned to our economy (Source). 

So whether you consider yourself a “localist” or just a fan of a growing and strong economy, it’s time to consider increasing your local spending.