It’s that time of year again. Kids are off to school and many parents have lists the length of their arms to get taken care of. If you’re a merchant or a chamber of commerce, it’s time to let them know how shopping local can benefit them.
Shopping Local is an Investment in Community
We teach our kids about choices and their ramifications. If you choose to ignore your local merchants, and buy elsewhere, these stores will not be able to stay open. If these stores close, your town will undergo many financial hardships; won’t be able to attract visitors of any sorts; and people will look elsewhere to buy, eat, and live. Your choice.
Get More Than Pencils
Many people feel big box stores offer better deals on back to school items. While a $.25 box of crayons is hard to compete with, there are a number of other items in which local merchants are competitive. You will also have a much more diverse choice of items. Shopping local is an ideal option for anything like clothes, backpacks, even teachers’ gifts, where you want to stand out and not look so cookie-cutter.
Also, back to school shopping isn’t all about pencils and pens. A lot of local merchants offer services to help you get ready for school. These may include a hair cut, lunch out, or the all important massage for mom and dad after the kids go back to school.
Sales Tax Savings
If you order off of an Internet retailer you could be paying sales tax, while many local establishments offer a tax-free holiday (in many states) just before school starts. If you take advantage of the tax-free shopping, it’s beneficial to shop local because the portion of the tax revenue that stays in area isn’t received during this time. Visiting a local merchant maintains some of that money in the region.
Are you shopping local this school year? If so, what’s your favorite local item? Leave us a comment below:
