Why Shopping Local Works
Newfoundland – The holiday season is well and truly over. I know that because I finally paid off all my bills. I had to makes some choices this year: go online or go to a local store. The ease of shopping online is easy to see (who doesn’t like shopping in their pyjamas?) as without the hassle of lines or having to visit a shopping centre during the holidays, stress is somewhat reduced. It is no doubt convenient, shipping charges have reduced significantly on this side of the border since the dawn of online shopping and sometimes the discounts and perks, such as gifts with purchase or major price reductions, are considerable when compared to a traditional brick and mortar store front.
This year, however, I made an effort to buy half of my gifts at local boutiques and stores as well as the local version of national franchises and brands. Many local boutiques and shops also offer online stores and shops, an added bonus for online shopping fans like me. (As online shopping continually rises, as industry experts predict, independent operations will undoubtedly add their own online storefronts and provide additional options for consumers with loyalty to provincial and nationally owned brands.) This isn’t a case against online shopping (I dearly love it and acknowledge it’s the way of the future) but rather a push to buy local whether ‘local’ is right here in our own back yard or within our larger national retail community.
