REASONS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH SHOPPING LOCAL

https://appanoosecountymarketing.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/reasons-to-fall-in-love-with-shopping-local/

Your neighbors will be there, too. In fact, a whopping 82 percent of U.S. consumers plan to shop or eat at an independently owned store or restaurant on Small Business Saturday, according to the American Express Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey.

1. It’s fun. My family used to shop on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving). No more. It’s just too painful: no real bargains, crazy crowds, unpleasant employees. Now, we’ve made Small Business Saturday our tradition. We sleep in, meet for breakfast at a local, independent café, then go shopping in small stores.

2. You support schools, police and fire departments. When you shop small, the bulk of the money you spend and most of your taxes stay local — helping schools, paving streets, keeping you safe. According to the research firm Civic Economics, for every $100 you spend:

•In a local small business, $68 stays in your community.

•At a local branch of a chain store, $43 remains.

•Online, virtually no money stays local.

5. You’ll raise your property values. Lively, vibrant neighborhood shopping streets are considered an advantage when selling a home. They make your property more valuable.

6. You’ll strengthen your community. Local businesses are owned by people who live in your town, go to your church or synagogue, donate to local animal shelters, coach Little League teams. When you spend money in their stores and cafes, you support your neighbors.

8. You’ll create jobs. Local businesses create local jobs. Often, these are jobs that pay better than those at chain stores.