The benefits of shopping locally

March 2, 2022

Something that has hit a lot pretty hard as we exit the COVID-19 crisis is just how important people are.


Initially, we realised that we need to see people and be around people to enjoy life. Being cut off from others really showed how much our personal relationships count, but then we reached a new understanding of connections. Omicron showed us just how fast our employment chains and service chains break down when a few pieces are missing.


We need people to move our economy and make our services work. It’s a bit of a shock. Technology has crept ever further into our day-to-day handling, we thought people were becoming obsolete. Not so. Not so by far and as the trucks fail to bring produce and supermarkets fail to stock their shelves we realise we need each other. We need people to make it work.


As always, amid the chaos, there are those who don’t crumble. While supermarket chains were left in shambles, small grocers and family-run butchers held their own. They know how to run on skeleton staff and have great communications with their suppliers and flexible options for delivery that helped them stay on their feet during the panic. 


It has taught us some really valuable things:

  • People are important to make our communities work. 
  • Small business holds us together when the going gets rough.


So let’s make some better choices to continue that growth and support. Let’s start building on those local businesses more so they can back us when we need it.


We do have control here. It might not seem like because we are just one lone shopper, but the choices we make can have a big impact. Businesses are constantly looking to see what buyers are buying to help them make their marketing and product decisions. They are looking at what we do to decide what they will do next. It’s an empowering place to be.


As consumers, we have the power to change the way the world works, just by being careful about how we shop and what we buy.


More and more people are embracing the shop local movement as a lifestyle shift and supporting local businesses instead of big corporations.


It’s worth it for you as well as those around you. Local shops and services mean

  • More personalised service
  • Higher quality goods
  • Money stays in your community
  • More local jobs
  • Innovation and local product development

Local businesses have been fighting to stay ahead of big business for long enough to know how to know the ropes. They have put extra effort into some aspect of their business that makes them stand apart, and it shows. It might be being more accessible, having standout service, being more flexible with a we-come-to-you approach, or having the freshest and best quality items on offer.

 

When you spend money locally, in most cases the money stays local. It’s injected back into your community and keeps everything humming. When you are buying from big chains the money gets redirected to shareholders and investors, and most often, it doesn't even stay in Australia. It can be alarming that many big businesses are not Australian owned.

 

Another feel-good factor in choosing to stay local with your purchases is the more positive environmental impacts. Because your purchase wasn’t shipped from overseas in a refrigerated cargo box, craned, trained and trucked to get to you, it’s healthier and has a lower impact on the environment. 

When you support your community you are supporting the people that make your community happen.


Our local businesses know that their commitment to quality and service is what keeps customers coming back, so they have every reason to stick with it. So let’s stick with them. Instead of buying a lot of things online, buy less and get something high quality in-store. Look for local businesses and support your local entrepreneurs. 

 

The payoff is that your local community will thrive and build to be something valuable and meaningful that you can rely on if you hit a slump down the track.

 

It doesn't have to be a complete overall of how you live, you might simply visit the local markets or buy lunch from the corner cafe once a week. A great way to start is to research the local businesses around you online, you might be surprised just how much is on offer. Drop-in and ask how their businesses got started and see how big small communities can be.

 

Shopping locally is all about sharing love. Find ways you can contribute and do whatever you can to enjoy the community around you.


Who is Peta Stewart?

Award-winning conveyancer. Entrepreneur. Business mentor. Women’s cycling advocate. These are just some of the ways Peta Stewart is introduced. What ties them together is a steely determination to help people achieve their life goals and have fun in the process.

In 2004, Peta became the first licensed conveyancer in the Albury Wodonga greater region. Five years later, she launched her own business and started shaking up the industry with a good dose of personality, integrity and humanity.

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