The 5 Main Benefits of Shopping Small in a Local Community
It doesn’t matter whether you live in a bustling big city on the coast or a small township in the heart of America—we can all but guarantee that there are small businesses you could be supporting in your area. It may feel tempting to make every purchase from a global corporation or chain store, but shopping small can actually make a world of difference in your community. Why not start today with the nearby stores in Rochester, MI?
Why Shop Small Businesses?
Maybe you buy from local Rochester stores during Small Business Saturday or when something catches your eye on a weekend stroll down Main Street, but have you ever stopped to consider what would happen if you prioritized shopping small in your day-to-day life? From buying the latest true crime novel at your favorite indie bookstore to grabbing your weekly groceries from the farmers’ market, there are countless swaps you can make in your everyday spending that support your hometown and result in personal and community-oriented benefits. The next time you need to make a purchase, consider putting your hard-earned money towards your neighbors’ dream businesses instead of billionaire-owned companies.
What Kinds of Challenges Do Locally Owned Stores Face?
When it comes to shopping in Rochester, it’s important to remember, as a customer, that owning and managing a local business is not always peaches and cream. Sometimes, due to trying to keep up with massive companies, e-commerce, and economic changes, an independently owned store in Rochester can struggle. This is when they need your support most.
Common Challenges Faced by Stores in Rochester:
- Competition: Indie bookstores and shops in Rochester may struggle trying to meet the vast inventory, prices, and marketing budgets of national chains and online companies.
- Inflation: In an effort to keep up with the ever-changing economy, local businesses are often forced to adjust prices to handle rising costs of inventory and labor.
- Online presence: Many local stores lack the resources to maintain a high-level, SEO-optimized website or social media presence, losing out on customers who rely on online sites to discover places to shop.
5 Proven Benefits of Shopping Small in Your Community:
- Economic growth
- Job creation
- Preserving local character
- Environmental friendliness
- Unique inventory
1. Shopping Small Boosts the Local Economy
Would you believe that where you decide to shop in Rochester actually has the ability to directly affect the town’s economy? Well, it’s true! And it’s more powerful than you could possibly imagine.
Let’s say, for example, you were looking to buy a new Kristin Harmel book. If you were to buy the same novel at an independently owned Rochester store and a mega corporation, the financial outcomes would be completely different.
This is because, in general, around 50% or more of a local purchase is recirculated back into your community, while only 15% of purchases from a national chain go back into the store’s location. The more you spend shopping in Rochester’s small businesses, the more you can be sure that your hard-earned cash stays in your city.
2. Supporting Local Businesses Creates Jobs
Did you know that local shops, like most of the stores in Rochester, are reportedly the largest employers nationally? Up to 90% of new jobs in the country are created by small businesses, and if we don’t shop small, then this number is at risk of decreasing.
Between restaurant hostesses, booksellers, cashiers, retail workers, and more, the shops in Rochester provide members of the community with reliable, well-paying jobs that are close to home. You don’t often find that kind of stability at a global brand!
The idea of job creation goes far beyond each Rochester store. Most small business owners understand the importance of shopping small, translating that methodology to their vendor partnerships. At Novel, for instance, we buy ingredients for our sandwich menu from a few of our favorite local spots, The Cheese Lady and CRUST, in an effort to support our fellow entrepreneurs in their efforts to provide stable jobs.
3. Shopping at Independently Owned Stores Preserves Your Community’s Charm
Let’s face it: shopping in downtown Rochester just wouldn’t feel the same if there weren’t a locally owned store on every block! Between mom-and-pop consignment stores, family-owned bakeries, artisanal décor and trinket stores, and more, these types of businesses are what make a community special. Shopping small helps your town’s most beloved spots stay open and makes sure that the area can remain a vibrant and compelling shopping destination, rather than turning into a generic, gentrified, and personality-less no man’s land.
4. Buying from Small Businesses is Environmentally Friendly
If you’re looking to introduce more sustainable habits into your day-to-day, shopping small is a great place to start. Local businesses tend to focus on quality and demand-driven numbers instead of mass production, preventing excess inventory from ending up in landfills and polluting the earth.
Many Rochester stores also rely on localized sourcing and nearby vendors, reducing the fuel associated with long-distance shipping practices employed by chain companies. Knowing your favorite shopping spots in Rochester produce smaller carbon footprints makes buying from there feel even better.
5. Small Businesses Offer More Unique Items
Since the independently owned stores in Rochester are run by individual people or families, they have complete control over their inventory. This leads to a unique selection of items that you may not find anywhere else. Whether you’re looking for a handmade gift for an old friend or prefer shopping from a curated assortment of self-help books and Christmas romance novels, shops in Rochester have you covered.
How to Show Your Support by Shopping in Rochester
If supporting local businesses and shopping small feels like something you want to try, we encourage you to do so throughout the year—not just during the holiday season. The stores of downtown Rochester are chock-full of incredible finds, including stylish decorations, trendy clothing, artisanal groceries, the latest literature, beautiful accessories, toys, florals, hardware, pet products, and so much more. The next time you need to buy something, consider checking a Rochester shop before your usual retail spot.
Avoiding big brands altogether is downright impossible for the average person, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make tiny changes in your spending habits. Why don’t you start by leaving Amazon behind and coming to Novel? We can’t wait to help you!