Local Shopping Provides Economic Boost

Posted on | August 11, 2010 | 1 Comment

Michelle Pence, Communications Dept. Intern

By Michelle Pence, Communications Dept. Intern 

It’s about that time of year when local students are preparing to say goodbye to the freedom of summer, pack up their backpacks and head back to school. With the list of school necessities ranging from new clothes to laptops, parents are faced with an important shopping decision – shop at locally-owned stores or shop at larger national retailers?

Statistics show that when someone shops at a locally-owned business, 45 cents of every dollar stays in Arizona, while national chains contribute only 13 cents.

“Every time you make a purchase, you’re exercising power of choice,” states the Local First Arizona website, a nonprofit organization aimed at promoting locally-owned businesses. “The choice is yours.”

Shopping locally strengthens communities and economies by re-circulating money in the community, sustaining local jobs and generating tax revenue for the community and state, while shopping at larger national retailers or online companies drains local tax revenue and can damage the local economy.

“When you shop online with out-of-state companies, it doesn’t contribute a dime to the local economy,” says the website. Instead of shopping online, do a little research and try to find local businesses who offer the same or similar products locally.

Other publicized benefits of shopping locally include the often convenient store locations, the emphasis on personalized customer service and the character such businesses bring to the community.

“Independent businesses provide meaningful service with a personal touch,” says the Local First Arizona website. “It matters to them that you are satisfied and will come back again.”

To aid in the decision shoppers face, many communities are launching campaigns similar to Local First Arizona, encouraging people to recognize the charm and importance of small businesses and to shop locally. The City of Tempe hosts the Shop Tempe! Program, which promotes how shopping at local Tempe businesses helps support the citizens and businesses of Tempe by keeping stores open and people working.

“Shopping Tempe helps pay for community parks, police and fire service and many other city services,” states the Shop Tempe! website.

Finding and patronizing local businesses is one of the most basic and important decisions a person can make to help support local retailers. Both Shop Tempe! and Local First Arizona feature directories of local businesses on their websites, which businesses sign up to be a part of.  Shoppers are encouraged to peruse the businesses, listed by category, and to make a decision to shop or dine at one of the local businesses as opposed to a national retailer.

After making a conscience effort to shop locally, sharing the decision to do so with friends and family is the next step in sustaining local businesses by encouraging them to recognize the benefits of shopping locally and to make a similar decision.

What may seem like a simple decision to purchase new binders and lunchboxes for back-to-school is actually a decision of how much to contribute to the local community and economy.

To learn more about Shop Tempe! and Local First Arizona, please visit www.tempe.gov/shoptempe and www.localfirstaz.com. To see a list of Tempe Chamber of Commerce members you can support, visit www.tempechamber.org.

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