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This holiday season I will NOT buy local, I will NOT eat local,
I will NOT give my money to ANY business just because they are LOCAL.
I will however, shop at any and all shops that acknowledge that my business is why they are in business (and by MY business I mean the walk in customer who is interrupting their conversation or that busy work that they can finish when we have left their store, which should be in two minutes flat if we can't find someone to help us, duh!), and treat me with attentiveness and respect. I will eat only at restaurants where servers do not talk down to me, or my son, and who understand that good service is more important than the food. I can probably cook just as well as they do, but I'd really like it if someone else did the dishes for a change...
I will not be guilted into shopping locally. I work hard for my money, and so should they... that's all I'm saying. It'll be hard to beat the service at Longhorn's where the servers know our names and have never asked me, "You know we don't use regular lettuce to make our salads, we use fancy greens" (true story, local restaurant), or have tried to excuse the 50 minute steak with "at fancy restaurants it usually takes longer to get your food because it's made to order", (I SWEAR this IS a true story, This happened to me at a local restaurant. I can't make this s*** up!, Main St rest in downtown Nashua!)... I will eat where the food is made well, the servers are attentive and I can still have money in my wallet after I pay the check...
I will not shop local just because it's local. I will only shop local if local is better than the chain or the online retailer. I do not expect anyone to shop at my shoppe just because I'm an online retailer, what makes them think I should shop with them just because they are on Main St.?
Not gonna happen... My two cents.
By not shopping local I am still very much supporting my local economy, I am still keeping my neighbors employed, I am still keeping my city viable.
Do you think I have seen one too many "Shop Local" ads? I think so.
And although my local farm is wonderful, $5 for a pint of Strawberries in June seemed a bit excessive to me; and the $1.50 for the tiny pumpkin I picked up at the spmkt for 69cents also seemed a bit much, so I had to leave those and shop "not local", sorry...
The folks that work at the Hannaford's need jobs too, so I'm supporting them. And man, I can't remember EVER seeing a special needs person working at ANY of the local shops in Nashua, and that alone is a good reason for any mom with a special needs child to shop at Walmart! Just sayin'...
9 comments:
Well said! There is nothing more to add.
Bravo!!!!! Stands up, clapping wildly! :)
I get the campaign to shop local. Personally I think if you shop the Walmart or Macy's in your town...it is shopping local. If I need to pick up some makeup and I am out of town...I'll wait till I get back home and go to my local Macy's to boost their sales numbers. I do like our smaller shops mainly because I get better service but it doesn't keep me totally out of the chain stores. As for restaurants, I am way picky, #1 cleanliness...that goes for grocery stores also. Since we are a tourist town it is a little different in someways, but local to me means doing a majority of my shopping in my own town.
I don't agree. Your comments on 'it's cheaper to buy at the big box stores' is exactly the reason BUY LOCAL began. They can undercut prices so you are forced to shop there for your budget. They will buy from countries that you may be offended by but they WILL offer lower prices. I will buy local, not out of guilt, but because I will take my kids and we will shop the community. We will talk to shop owners and see their wares. We will walk the sidewalks and see our neighbors. I'll go to the local quilt store even if I can get it cheaper online because they give me the opportunity to actually TOUCH the items. I do it to support my town.
Here's the thing Mego, I didn't say that "it's cheaper to shop at the big box stores", THAT goes without saying. To say that would be redundant.
I no more believe the statement that people are "forced" to shop at the BB stores than I believe that the local shops are closing because of the economy. I'm sorry. People shop where they are made to feel welcome, where the price, merchandise and service go hand in hand. Shopping is a choice, not a necessity.
I appreciate that you shop at your local quilt shoppe and that they allow you to touch the merchandise. I on the other hand, could not do that because my LQS didn't appreciate my special needs child screeching while I tried to shoppe. And, after one stare too many, I realized I wasn't welcome, and neither was my non-crying but very much happy screeching autistic child. To say that you think folks shop online because things are cheaper is an oversimplification of why some online businesses are thriving while some, just like the local "downtown" shops, are closing daily.
One reason people shop online is so they can take care of their families and themselves without neglecting either one... That's why I shop online, and that customer, the one who can't leave their kids with a sitter, the one who has the screeching child and the working husband, the housebound parent who requires her to stay home and care for her during the hours that medicaid doesn't cover the in home nurse; that's the customer that I cater to, in my online shoppe.... not the one looking for a bargain.
We don't live in a cookie cutter world and everyone's choices are based on their own experiences and prerogatives. My experiences are not unique, and I'm sure yours aren't either. They are just different.
I support my town, I just don't shop local for local's sake.
I was thinking as I read your post "I love you" and now after reading the comment "I love you even more".
Thank you for standing up and telling it like it should be! The last time I checked, I still lived in America where we are free to buy what and where we want. I have a business and people are always coming in to see if they can get a better price then on line. I just try to keep my prices 'in line' with those on line. The funny thing is they usually forget the shipping, handeling, or even the having to buy more then you want (minimum order).
Good for you. I wish I could copy this and spread it all over the web...I won't, just saying. You go girl!
You bettcha, I was going to buy some Christmas lights for my tree. Indoor little tiny lights. At our LOCAL hardware store, they wanted a Fricking $16.00 for one strand of 100 lights. What are they made of Gold??? Are you serious. This must have been miss marked. Nope,"we will be getting more in a week" and I will be going to Walmart thank you very much, where I bought 600 lights for $18.00. You want me to shop locally then make it worth my while.
A cup of soup and some garlic toast with a soft drink, $15.00. I will go buy a can of Campbells and fix it myself for $3.00.
Taking my mantel clock to be fixed locally for the fourth time today. If I hadn't already paid I would just say forget it.
I will drive the 6 miles into town to save a bazillion bucks and be able to pay my rent and eat for another month.
I realize they have to pay more because of quantity, but we are trying to help them by shopping locally, give us a break
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