One of the biggest challenges I face shopping in a rural area is the pressure to do my shopping locally.
If I visit the local shops, I often enjoy great customer service, but I pay a lot more for that experience.
If I shop at a larger chain store or shop online, I often find great deals, but not as nice of an experience.
I’ve lived in my small rural community for long enough to know that a local business with no customers will surely disappear.
But is it my job to save that business by shopping there? Or is it my job to provide for my family while making the most of our hard-earned dollars?
Recently, two of my favorite bloggers, J.D. Roth from Get Rich Slowly, and Trent Hamm from The Simple Dollar weighed in on the issue of buying locally.
J.D. writes:
“There are indeed times that I’ll eat or shop at a national chain, but if I have a choice, I’ll almost always opt for local. Yes, there usually is [a price difference]. (Though not always.) But the cost differential isn’t great. Even when I was digging out of debt, I was willing to pay extra to buy local. I considered a sort of “community tax” — a surcharge I paid to keep the local area vibrant and strong. That’s important to me, so I’m willing to pay a little extra to make it happen.”
Trent writes:
“I buy local (and I encourage you to do the same), but I’m rather pragmatic about it.I’ll buy local if the business offers a product (and support for that product) that approaches the value I’d get elsewhere. I won’t buy a product simply because it’s local – my decision to buy something is independent of whether or not there are opportunities to spend locally. Local businesses, however, do often add elements of the purchase to the equation that large chains simply can’t add.”
I tend to agree more with Trent. If I can find a value in shopping at my local stores, than I will. And I will share my positive experience with friends and family.
But I get frustrated with local merchants who feel they are entitled to my business and that I am a bad person if I don’t shop at their stores. I’ve had several experiences in which the local shop owners have been more rude to me than nationally-recognized chain stores, and yet I’m frequently told I’m not shopping locally if I visit these chain stores. Consider this: the headquarters of those chain stores may be far away, but they are employing people who live, work, and spend money right here in my community. And all’s fair in love and capitalism, right?
I will shop locally when shops provide me high quality products and great customer service at a reasonable price. Note: I didn’t say the best price. I said “reasonable.” I know that shopping locally is better for not only the local economy, but also for the environment. But I refuse to pay significantly more for an item in a store with only marginal service and will take my business elsewhere.
So what do you think? Do you always buy local? Or are you willing to shop elsewhere?
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I very rarely shop “locally.” In my area, most of the “local” stores are specialty shops that are far above my budget. I *do* shop at Reny’s, which is based out of Maine, and also offers very good prices. And I go to the nearby country store fairly frequently, mostly for small purchases and pizza. But overall, I have to watch money and time, and I have chosen to be one of those that frequents the chain stores. Cast stones at will, “shop local” crusaders. :P
I live in a pop. 2,800 rural town, 30 miles from the “city”. We have a few shops here, a couple of which are large chains (a Sonic and a Dollar General). I do shop here when it’s reasonable. I’d rather go to our hardware store than Home Depot in the city if they’ll have what I’m looking for. I’m leery of our tiny grocery store, but I’ll go there in a pinch. There are a few specialty shops and local restaurants that I’ll go to. But I’m very accustomed to driving to the city, it doesn’t seem like a huge distance so I do the vast majority of my household spending there. Often that means an all-day outing with 8 or more stops to go here, there, and everywhere to get the best deals, but sometimes that’s what’s required.
{waves hi at Amanda from PCC}
Well hey there Tracy! Still hanging around watching us crazy folks? ;)
Last summer I enjoyed visiting a farmer’s market from time to time, until I wanted to buy sausage from a vendor. She was great, but the woman next to her, who was selling bread, seemed to think that I had to buy from her. I tried to explain that I only had enough for the meat, but she kept asking me if I had a checkbook, that I must have a checkbook, even going so far as to try and follow me back to my car. I finally had to promise that I’d be back next week (I haven’t been back since!)
Buying local is fine — but that customer service is key.
I live in an area where there several locations of chain stores (WalMart, Target, local grocery chains, etc) within a 15 miles radius of my home (my county is a patchwork of about 50 small municipalities). Whenever possible I choose to shop at the location in the town where I live so that my spending and my tax dollars will benefit my town and keep that location going. There may be nicer or newer locations in surrounding towns but staying loyal to my town helps it’s economy.
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