10 Reasons to Shop Locally
The following is reprinted with permission from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a national nonprofit organization working to rebuild local economies. To learn more, visit www.newrules.org/retail.
- Local character and prosperity
Your community’s local character and prosperity thrive when you support its unique and diverse locally owned businesses.
- Community well-being
Local businesses foster community well-being by building strong neighborhoods, sustaining communities, and contributing more to local causes.
- Local decision-making
Local ownership means local decision making by people who live in the community and share in the effect of those decisions.
- Local economic benefits
Keeping your money in your local economy supports local jobs, funds more local services through sales tax, and invests in neighborhood improvement and development.
- Local jobs and wages
Locally owned businesses create more jobs locally and, in some cases, provide better wages and benefits than chains do.
- Entrepreneurship
Local entrepreneurship fosters economic innovation and prosperity.
- Public services costs
Local stores in town centers make more efficient use of public services and community infrastructure than big box chain stores.
- Environmental impact
Local stores help sustain vibrant, compact, walkable town centers, which in turn are essential to reducing sprawl, automobile use, habitat loss, and air and water pollution.
- Healthy competition
A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses across our country fosters healthy competition and ensures innovation and low prices over the long term.
- More choices for you
An abundance of small locally owned businesses, each selecting its own product mix, guarantees a much wider range of product choices for everyone in the community.
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