By: Rebecca Dumas, Gregory's Paint & Flooring
As we are inundated with continual messages via social media, about a multitude of things.I wanted to sift through the"BuyLocal" message to highlight why it's so important.
Does anyone remember going to the hardware store, grocery store or shop with your Dad on a Saturday morning bored while he was talking to the shop owner? Now that we're older, some of those fond memories may come flooding back, as we realize that rushing around, picking up the cheapest, sometimes imported gadget that we feel we have to have has lost some of the "experience".
Buying from a local small business independent matters for so many reasons. Our actions are observed sometimes more than we think through the eyes of our children. We are paving the way for the next generation and we have to show them that we do not want our only choices to be the big box chains, discounters, and company-owned stores.
The independent retailers that started their businesses generations ago, are back to the realization that even though it is hard, it matters and that it's important in our society for generations to come.
One of the latest buzzwords in retailing has been that of "show-rooming", which is the act of going into a brick and mortar store and identifying the product you want to purchase and then going online or to a large chain to buy it cheaper.
I can understand why this has become popular with the generation-y consumer, but it also needs to be identified that these kind of continual situations are not fair to the independent retailers that spend a lot of money to simply have a store to walk into.
Besides the rent, utility bills, phone bill, advertising, signage, office supplies, cleaning supplies, sales tax, inventory tax, computers, phone systems, equipment/repairs, etc., there is the costs associated with having employees, costs of goods sold, and oh a meager salary for the owner.
So now if that "show-roomer" comes in and asks the store owner/manager to explain the features/benefits of the said product, and then doesn't even buy? This business that spent all of that money to get that person to call or come in gets no sale. Not only is this unfair, but if this trend continues there may not be the choices left except for online retailers or the large chains that can withstand due to their sheer volume.
So remember the next time you are planning your shopping trip realize that the benefits to "Buying Local" and "Buying Small"are SIGNIFICANT and matter in the long term more than you think, and the broader benefits include:
- benefiting the local economy
- raising the value of home prices in the community
- revitalizing and saving the Main streets in a small town
We can all feel good about making these choices. It's the right thing to do!
About Rebecca
My husband and I own a retail paint and decorating store in Johns Creek, GA. We have been in the paint, flooring, and design business for 17 years. Our first store was Riverside Paint & Decorating in Lawrenceville, that we opened in 1997. We love what we do, helping people with their home improvement projects. It all starts with color, then we build from there creating a plan to give your home that personalized touch. We have a full-service flooring department, as well as extensive wallpaper library, and offering custom window treatments, Plantation shutters, and manufactured shading systems by Hunter Douglas, Kirsch, Horizon, and many others.
Read more about buying local, independent paint stores, small business.
