Top 10 Reasons
To Buy Local

The importance of Buying local

Buying local is a highly powerful form of activism that has the potential to change everything!

Buying local may not seem like activism because it is so simple, but it is an important and effective form of activism which can transform lives and communities for the better.

Instead of buying your groceries from a giant corporation such as Tesco, Morrison’s or Walmart, where your money goes directly multi-billion-dollar corporations – whilst slave labour goes on in the background, taxes are evaded and staff are treated like disposable robots, it’s important that we make the switch to buying locally, and invest into our community by doing so!

The Top 10 Reasons Why It’s Important To Buy From Local Businesses

Buying local is great, but isn’t it expensive?

Buying local can often be a little more expensive and can be difficult to do if you’re not so abundant at the moment, but even if not everything you buy is local, you are still making an impact and benefiting from higher quality produce and services! So, keep doing what YOU CAN and buy as much as you can locally, being mindful of what you purchase so that everything that you buy gets used and nothing goes to waste.

Buying in local businesses, markets and local co-ops is extremely important. If you are unfamiliar with cooperatives here is more info.

If you’re in the UK, don’t be fooled by the nationwide Co-op’s by the way, they are not the ethical option they make themselves out to be, we are talking about the family and community owned businesses and cooperatives.

So, here are the top 10 reasons why we should all be buying locally!

1. Your money is going to people who genuinely need it

When you buy locally, you aren’t lining some rich greedy CEO’s pocket, who has more than enough money.

People who own local businesses are ordinary working people who need the money to survive and make a living. Buying local is directly helping these great people and their families.

2. Helping to avoid slave labour

Local businesses are more likely to have fair trade products, pay their staff fair wages and source local produce which doesn’t involve slave labour etc.

By supporting local businesses, you are voting with your money and not funding or supporting such inhumane treatment. By buying local you aren’t consenting to slave labour and removing your part in the mistreatment of workers. If we buy it, we condone it…

3. Circulate money back into your local economy

When you buy local, you are giving money to local people, who will then buy food locally, go to local restaurants, cafes, pubs, etc.

This keeps money circulating in the community which causes the local economy to flourish! When this happens all over the country, our lives improve generally and financially, and as a result of this the greater economy thrives.

4. Boycott sh*tty corporations

By buying locally, you aren’t spending money at big companies and corporations.

We are all pretty up to speed with the reasons why most corporations don’t rate highly on ethics: Profit before people, use slave labour, unethical products, lack of empathy, low quality produce, and all the other reasons you could list.

Therefore, you are automatically boycotting awful companies, which is another form of activism.

5. It creates more jobs

When more people are supporting local businesses, the demand for local businesses goes up, thus creating more jobs.

Not just any jobs either… Jobs in local shops tend to be more pleasant and fulfilling!

Again, this boosts the local economy and improves the local community, as well as boosting morale.

6. A sense of community and more enjoyable

Local businesses tend to have friendly staff. Getting to know these staff every time you shop creates a positive atmosphere which encourages communication and friendliness which keeps people united. Other customers will often be more friendly and like-minded too!

Many local businesses are run by the owner so when you are talking, you are directly interacting with them. Small business owners tend to be passionate as they see the difference their local business makes and they see the appreciation from their customers.

This positive energy circulates all around the community by shopping locally and it feels so much better leaving a shop after a nice conversation than it does leaving a big cold superstore after being served by a machine that shouts “UNEXPECTED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA” at you!

7. Promotes creativity and originality

Small businesses bring creativity into the community. Whether it be art, food, coffee/drinks, furniture, clothes, jewellery etc.

These businesses bring new products and a variety of different or unique items to the world. Supporting these businesses keeps originality alive and prevents everything from being bland and the same, unlike the Copy>Paste Corporates on every street corner, with the same glossy branding, selling the same toxic and boring copy>paste products.

8. Support authenticity and genuine people

People who own local businesses are usually passionate and want to make a difference with their business, particularly to their community.

Generally, local business owners care about their customers and listen to feedback. Supporting local meant you supported authenticity instead of supporting some CEO hiding away in their third home on the other side of the world.

9. Appreciate of the value of what we buy

When we don’t buy from big corporations, we tend to be more mindful of what we buy. The shops aren’t as big, prices may be a bit higher, we remember that someone has taken their own time to bring these products to us, and there is more value in what we buy.

Buying locally helps us remember where our goods come from and remind us to be grateful. We are loosened from the shackles of mindless consumerism every time we buy from local businesses and we re-connect with what we buy and the people involved in bringing us these goods.

10. Encourages other small businesses to emerge

Many will argue that it’s not easy to find a local organic farm, local ethical shop or co-op. But you’ll be surprised, most towns and villages will be close to a rather special little gem working away in the background, serving the few loyal customers that hear about them through the grapevine.

Do some digging, ask around. Discover how many little organic veggie shacks and the likes are out there near you. The more traction and popularity these sorts of wonderful places get, the more will emerge.

This isn’t limited to groceries.

Choose local for your café, your bakery, DIY store materials, mechanic, clothes, arts & crafts and as many things as you can.

The corporate take-over is on a mission to own everything it can, if we don’t do our bit to get behind businesses with integrity, it might not be long before real food can no longer be found, or a service with a smile and a nice chat can no longer be experienced.

Who wants to live in a world where as a customer, you are a number, rather than someone who is valued and catered for on a personal level?

Every penny we spend is a voting slip. How important supporting local is, is up to us to decide… How we decide is with our money.

2021-10-15T00:39:20+01:00

About the Author:

Activist, freedom fighter, free spirit, massive hippie, truth seeker, creative soul, lover of sunshine, sea and sunflowers :)