Editorials
November 27, 2008 12:05 AM
With the Canadian and American economies battling a mild or full recession and the doom-and-gloom news from various manufacturing and automotive sectors, it may seem a depressing time for everyone.
Holiday shopping season is in full gear and, according to various surveys, most families in Canada are determined to provide a happy holiday for their children, despite worries over the economy.
Retailers and financial experts are holding their collective breath, hoping Canadian and American consumers open their purse strings and follow traditional Christmas shopping patterns to boost the last quarter of 2008.
Have you thought that you — one shopper among millions in the GTA — can do your part to boost your own local economy?
That if you and your neighbours make a little effort to spend money locally, you can make December brighter for local business owners and employers right in your community?
It’s as simple as thinking ‘shop local’ as a motto, every day. You have the power to control your shopping dollars. Where you spend them will make a real difference in every community in York Region.
Just think of the positives.
If you buy goods and services from locally owned and operated businesses, the money you spend stays in your community. That, in turn, protects jobs and contributes to the tax base.
Most big-box stores send their profits out of the province, sometimes out of the country. While they, too, employ local people, it’s mostly through low-paying jobs with little security and no benefits.
Head office decisions about what products to stock aren’t made at the local level, yet by shopping locally and speaking directly to small store managers and owners, you can influence the kinds of products they put on their shelves.
You can ask questions such as, “Where does this item come from?” “Is it safe?” and, thus, take control of your purchases and use your shopping dollars to build a better world.
If you shop at locally owned and independent stores, you make an investment in businesses where you live, your money multiplies locally and boosts retailers right in your town.
People who do shop local know service at smaller stores is often more personal and that small business owners invest in their community and support local charities. The spin-off effect is huge and multiplies, which benefits everyone.
No two people will shop locally the same way, but every single shopper has very real power in this susceptible, teetering economy.
We don’t have the power to make economic decisions for Canada or even Ontario. But our wise and personal buying power can help small business people to survive.
Keep that in mind as you head out the door with your shopping list in hand.