The importance of shopping small and local was a national hot topic amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Small businesses are essential for the communities in which they reside, and they still need your support. Here are the top four reasons you should make shopping small and local a consistent habit in your life:
1. The local economy will thrive.
Remington Rock, Manager and Event Coordinator at downtown Champaign’s new bookstore, the Literary, said, “When you shop and support local and small, your money stays there; it stays in your community.” Mark Kesler, Professor of Business and Management at Parkland College, explained, “The sales tax dollars generated by shopping small businesses help pay for fire and police, schools and roads. Without community support, the local shops and small businesses will close. This is particularly important in smaller communities, where local, small businesses support a variety of community events.”
2. Local businesses often invest back into the community.
Kesler has worked with small businesses for nearly 40 years. He noted, “Small businesses are the lifeblood of any community. Not only do they provide products and services necessary for the community residents, but they also invest in their communities by hiring local labor and giving back financially in so many ways, supporting community affairs of all types.” Kesler added, “Small businesses support the local Little League teams, the school yearbook, many of the fundraising smaller communities are involved with and hire your 16-year-old son or daughter for their first job.”
3. The positive impact is mutual.
When customers shop small and local, it’s not just the business that benefits, but you, the customer, do as well. Rock said, “Shopping local helps us, as a business, to build knowledge and find out what people in this community are looking for. And on the other hand, it helps you because we’re there, we’re close, and we want to make you happy. So, we’re able to do that on a closer, personal, and easier basis; especially compared to larger businesses.”
4. It’s just more fun to shop local.
When you shop small and local, you never know what you might find that you could not have found somewhere else. Taking a tour of the town is a fun way to get to know your community and find the hidden treasures right in our backyards. Rock said, “Buying from a small business is such a different experience than shopping from a larger corporation. There is a sense of camaraderie, relationship, and closeness. It’s also just really fun because you might find places you didn’t know even existed. It’s like a fun little scavenger hunt.” Right here in the Champaign-Urbana area, you can find hundreds of small businesses awaiting your arrival and support. From retail to restaurants and bars, to art, to personal care, the new and the old, you can find anything if only you seize the day and shop around. Check out these small businesses, plus many others, right here in Champaign-Urbana:
The Literary & Hopscotch
Jane Addams Bookstore
Beads N Botanicals
Bluebird Boutique
Strawberry Fields
Caffe Paradiso
Health in Harmony
