The countdown begins… less than 1 week until Black Friday. And that doesn’t count the stores that are opening on Thanksgiving day. Or the ones starting their sales on Wednesday… The great deals just seem to keep on coming.
So I wonder, where will you be shopping, this holiday season? Will you be among the many how stand in ridiculously long lines in the wee hours of the morning to grab those doorbuster deals, or will you be waiting until the clock strikes twelve in your PJ’s to virtually steal that online sale?
Wherever you’ll be going to stock up on holiday gifts, I encourage you to seek out local Indie stores, while you’re out and about – or online, as many now have retail websites, as well.
But they’re always higher priced, you say. I hear you, and so do they. There’s just no way they can possibly compete with giants like Walmart or Amazon to bring their prices that low.
Their stock is limited and I don’t always find what I’m looking for. Agreed. I’ve had the same problem when looking at local shops, too.
But let me ask you – each time you purchase from one of the big ‘Giants’, do you think they actually care about you? Does Target or Barnes and Noble actually take consideration for what is going on in your life? I can tell you, no. They likely don’t care if you give them a bad review, either, considering they have enough people who will continue to shop there, despite what others say about them. However, when you purchase from a family owned shop, I can guarantee you, they do care about you. Each time I enter my local bookstore, the owners know me by face, the workers ask me about a discussion we’d had on my previous visit. They care. Not just because they have to for the likelihood of their establishment, but because they can. The big stores can’t be personal with you, it’s just the nature of the beast.
If you boycott one of the big stores this season, will they close down or fail because they lost your business? Probably not. But not shopping at an Indie shop could very well make or break that business. Each time you shop local, you put another meal onto the table of fellow citizens, like yourselves.
These reasons alone make me want to buy local, whenever I am able. No business will ever be big enough to compete with the passion that locals give their businesses, in my opinion. And we should support that passion, in whatever way we can. Especially from those businesses that don’t even have a store front – sometimes the best quality items are made in a business owner’s home office.
Will I shop at any of the above mentioned businesses? Yes, I will! I’m not saying to boycott them or to turn away from that fantastic deal you’ve been waiting for. I’m simply asking if you would consider spending just a portion of your holiday cash by pouring back into someplace local. If every American did this, then our small businesses wouldn’t have a problem staying open, despite the fact that the big Giants just aren’t going anywhere.
Yes, I know you may be able to find what you want for a few bucks cheaper at one of the bigger establishments. Yes, it will be a pain for you to have to order what you want from your local business, because they don’t have it on hand. But the next time you’re in an insanely long line at a major chain, consider if the CEO of that company really respects the fact that you’re giving him your hard earned cash. Then think about that shop owner you know by name, that spends every waking hour behind the counter, trying to make your experience in their store better every time you walk through the door.
Who would you rather support?
Shop Small
Indies First
Happy reading – and shopping! – friends!