Tis the season of giving, shopping, and eating. At Grow Clinton, we are celebrating the Small Business Season. This is a concerted nationwide mindset that chambers promote. The goal is to remind all of us to be intentional in our spending habits this holiday season. In addition, we all need the reminder that the point of this time of year is to make memories, and when shopping, shopping small, shopping local helps create those timeless memories.
Shopping small and shopping locally creates its own economic impact for sure. For every $100 spent, $68 stays in the community. Every local purchase sparks economic impact. From using local services, sourcing materials locally, the taxes, the jobs, and the community donations; it’s all about investing in OUR community. It’s why I want to stress shop local and not just shop small.
However, why I love this marketing campaign is shopping small and shopping local is more than just economics. The program lists twelve reasons to shop local that go beyond economics and get at why I love being “a regular.” Feel free to list in the comments some of your favorite experiences with one of the 12 reasons:
- Support your neighbor: This goes from if we ask a small business for a donation to one of our causes, we should make sure to support during this season to if your neighbor gets new siding at their house, it’s because business is good.
- Unique finds & gift: I bought a globe lamp from a local consignment store. I wasn’t intending to do so; but often, I find something I never knew I needed by browsing a store.
- Personalized Service: I can walk into a store, and they know my shoe size. That is a store I want to go to. I also love it when someone says I can order it for you to try on, and you know if you don’t like it, they will send it back.
- Fast, convenient shopping: My me, in person shopping is faster than online. I don’t know about you, but the limitless options online make me scroll forever. I’m also aware that so many of these online platforms are now resellers. They all buy from a wholesaler and mark up a few pennies. My convenience is trusting a curator.
- Sparks ideas: Point 8 sparks new ideas. For me, holding an item in my hand sparks creativity.
- Immediate satisfaction: This is a double-edged sword of course, but I don’t want to buy a TV and wait a week. I love new toys!
- Boost local economy: This has been covered. I would like to point out that I say shop small and shop locally because even corporate stores are anchors. Their money reverberates throughout town. Let alone a franchise.
- Sparks new ideas: I will admit not sure how this is different from spark ideas.
- Holiday spirit and cheer: Every shopping trip needs a trip to a restaurant or a drinking establishment to ensure quality time with friends and family. Wear a funny Christmas hat. Sing a Christmas tune.
- Procrastinator-friendly: This is a huge benefit to me! I remember my grandfather always went on Christmas Eve to do some big purchases. And I’ve found small shops go above and beyond for helpless shoppers!
- Visual displays: Related to sparking ideas, I love walking into our boutique stores and really any store and seeing the displays. I don’t know anything about design myself, so I call my design style, eclectic.
- Immediate pickup: Another push is to make sure if you must order online, you schedule a pickup at a local store. I even know our local boutique and consignment stores will reserve items for you on Facebook, especially if you have a relationship with them. It’s why it all goes back to that. Build a relationship with your local store owners and managers. And again, every corporate store manager in my twelve years here has been amazing to work with. Every shop owner wants to help you be satisfied.
So, take the pledge this holiday season to shop, dine in, take out, stop by, life up, browse, and leave a review for a local business. To help spending local, Grow Clinton's Small Business Season offers these incentives to assist you in your pledge. Grow Clinton's River City Gold program allows community members to buy gift certificates that can be spent at local participating businesses. Grow Clinton's Member to Member Deals provides discounts to employees of existing members. The most used resource on our website is our Membership Directory which provides not only a complete listing of our member businesses but those businesses in categories.
