I am impressed with a local adventure: spending one year NOT shopping in a chain store: www.unchainedinamerica.com
It is amazing to consider that for every $1 you spend in a chain store, only $.43 or less stays in the local economy. On the positive side, for every dollar you spend in a locally owned store $.68 (sometimes more) stays in the local economy. Quite a difference.
Here’s an excerpt from a holiday local shopping pledge site: “By pledging to spend $100 of your holiday shopping dollars at locally-owned stores, you will have a potential $40 million impact on our community, an estimated $5.9 million more than if it was spent at a non-local big box retailer.” From: http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/page?oid=269200
Our farm strives to spend our dollars in the local economy. There are things we must buy from internet sources and distribution systems. We bank with a local bank, we prefer locally owned gas stations, and we always strive to spend the dollars we can in the local economy. We challenge you to do the same and to support businesses who support local as well.
It would be lovely to think that if you aren’t supporting your own economy, you are supporting someone else’s. But studies show that supporting large chains support NO communities, just Wall St. No matter who many non-profits Target donates to, it doesn’t make up for it. And we all know how well Wall St. supports the working person and the global economy at large. Put money in the working person’s wallet by supporting your local businesses!
Think Global, Buy Local!
-Breann
