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We all spend, spend, spend when we can, but, do we really know of the impact that is made from WHERE we spend our money?
In this blog, we'll peel back the layers to uncover the effects that choosing local vs big corporation products can have on individuals, communities, and the environment. From reducing carbon footprints by minimising transportation distances to boosting the livelihoods of local farms...we'll delve into how these seemingly small choices can ripple through our economies in unexpected ways.
As always, get the kettle on, it is going to be a good one!
Get your seat-belt on, we are about to take you on a journey, but not just any journey, this is the journey of money!
You have 2 x £20 notes.
One of your £20 is spent at local, small business - The other £20 is spent at a multi-national big branded business.
What do you think will happen to each £20 note? Will they both make the same journey? Will they both be used for the same actions?
Let's have a peek:
The local business receives your £20 note, they thank you for your custom and the £20 goes into the till, then the real journey begins...:
The small business uses you too:
Buy from other local suppliers.
Provide higher living wages for staff, which can result in a more affluent town.
Pay tax that supports schools, NHS, roads, emergency services, social care and infrastructure projects.
Share profit with staff, customers, local investors and the local community.
Multi-national big brand business
The big brand receives your £20 note, thanks again, have a nice day, let the journey commence...
The big brand business uses you too:
Find the cheapest suppliers, which are usually another multi-national company.
Suppress wages for staff.
Gain market share and then increase prices.
Avoid taxes.
Transfer profits to the wealthy owners and shareholders, and usually away from your local area.
Spending locally tends to have more direct and positive impact on the local economy and community. It supports local jobs, creates a unique marketplace, and creates a sense of community involvement.
Spending at big businesses might offer convenience, lower prices, but...it can have more of a negative impact on the local community and economy. Resulting in you being worse off in the long run.
So which of these journeys would you want your £20 note to take?
Foreign Ownership: In a nutshell, foreign ownership just means that an individual or company from another country owns a business or other assets in another country. There a lot of real world examples that we can use to show foreign ownership.
For instance: The Saudi Arabians buying Newcastle or Qatar owning Harrods.
Wealth Extraction: This is usually closely linked to Foreign Ownership, as, when these big foreign investors come in and own businesses, or assets in the UK. Usually, any profits or income that they receive from this business, is extracted and sent back to the owners home country.
But, what are the impacts of Foreign Ownership and Wealth Extraction?
Loss of Profits: Simple one really, but crippling at the same time. When profits are sent out of the country, it reduces the amount of money that remains within the country for local investment and jobs.
Unequal Distribution of Benefits: As the profits from these businesses often flow back to the foreign owners, this is stopping funds going to the local communities that these businesses are located in.
Environmental Impact: If any of these foreign owned industries, extract natural resources, such as Coal, Oil etc out of the ground. These foreign owned businesses will be less worried about their responsibility on the environment, which means they may not follow the same safe environmental steps like local businesses and industries.
Political Influence: It should never be the case, but some foreign-owned businesses can have influence on that country's politics, which might not always be the best thing for that country.. This is because foreign owned businesses are usually out for profits and what is best for themselves.
We know people can be afraid, or a bit pessimistic about shopping and buying local, the common misconception is that it is more expensive then the big corporation, and in some cases this is true, but only because your local businesses will be charged at a much higher rate then the big corps.
Here are a few reasons to buy local:
Economic Support: When you buy from your local butchers, florists, or Betty's Boutique down the road, you are directly contributing your community economic growth. This means that you are actively bringing money into the community and keeping money within your community. This helps because it means, for instance: Betty's Boutique down the road, can reinvest all the money you gave her within the community by hiring new staff which creates new jobs in your area. If we all spend with our local businesses our communities will grow!
Community building: Just picture all the unique characters you meet whilst shopping locally. Local customers, local people. The shopkeeper who stays open all night to feed NHS Staff, the launderette that offers to wash uniformed services for free, the boiler engineer who doesn't charge an OAP for a boiler repair in winter. This is what gives a place a feeling of community and this is what builds communities. National chains find this impossible to repeat. By supporting local businesses, you help keep up the charm of your local community. Lets keep up our community charm!
Environmental Benefits: One of the benefits of buying local is on the environment. Think of it this way...when we buy local it means less travel for ourselves. This means you are kicking those nasty carbon emissions to the kerb in favour of supporting the local people who live in your area.
Quality and Uniqueness: No we are not talking about the items you see on your local Facebook page where someone has hollowed out a Pigeon and put it on for £30 as a pencil case. We mean the local experts! Your craft workers, cobblers etc. What you will always find with your locally owned businesses is that they put real care into every bit of working, fixing, moulding that they do! This means that overall you get better quality and a more unique item.
Personal Connections: Cast your mind to any of your local corner shops, takeaways, DIY stores. Have you ever been in a local shop that much that they remember your name and your regular order? These are the personal connections that build a community and your shopping experience. We know some may talk a lot or enjoy telling you their next conspiracy theory about 5G Phone masts, but this is what makes the place so special.
Positive Growth: Buying locally means, you're helping to create jobs and support local families. This means more money stays in our town, which can lead to better services like schools, parks, and roads. It is up to us to choose where we spend correctly on our goods and services.
The impact of buying local isn't just economic or environmental – it's personal. It's about making connections with the faces behind the products, rekindling relationships with the people who shape our surroundings, and rediscovering the pride in knowing where our food, clothing, and everyday essentials come from.
You now know the impact on your community when you buy from local...but what about the impact on the environment?
You may not think it, but buying local has more of a positive impact on the planet then you may realise:
Here is how it benefits the environment:
Reduced Carbon Footprint: Let me give you a quick example:
You buy some apples from your local farms. The local food planted and picked right there in your farmers market, you buy them and walk 5 minutes to your house. When you purchase locally, everyone is happy. The farmer, the customer, your local area, it is better for the environment and locally produced food always tastes better!
You buy some apples from one of the big boys of the food world.
Your apples will get picked over in Portugal, flung onto a plane, land in England, get on a lorry, drive 6-7 hours to your local big brand supermarket, just to not taste as nice and not stay ripe as long. Plus all the additional pesticides and chemicals sprayed onto them to keep them ripe whilst travelling. 3 companies are happy: the plane company, the big brand, the transportation company. You, your local farmers, your local area...not happy. Well done, You paid 20p less but made over 10,000 miles of travel more and left carbon emissions in your wake.
It might not seem so apPEELing any more?
Preserving Natural Resources: Your locally grown products do not need as much transport and storage as the big brands will. Choosing local isn't just about shopping. When you snag your local goodies, you're not just getting fresh, delicious products – you're giving the Earth a high-five. Think about it: less jet-setting for your tomatoes and fewer passport stamps on your bread and rolls. It's like you are giving nature a day off – less shipping, less packaging, and way fewer miles. What is not to like?
Reusing & Recycling: For this one, picture your community as the recycling emblem. The 3 green arrows that show an item is recyclable. When buying directly, your local businesses will focus more on saving and reusing items that they can where possible.
Just think of what we see on the news all the time: People who go into big brands bins at night to get food etc and they pull out untouched food which could have been donated to a food bank or given away. Local businesses are more likely to give away reduced food, or to donate to food-banks, or reuse their stock where possible compared to the big brands.
So why not buy locally?
Job Creation
Independent & Unique Shops and Town
Better Service
Control moves from the boardroom of corporations and back into the community where it belongs
Raise more money in taxable transactions (think tax avoidance by large corporations like Amazon, Starbucks etc)
Promote Entrepreneurship
More Consumer Choice
Fresher Goods
Community growth
Diverse cultures
If we all take the steps above to do our bit and buy local, we will reap the benefits in the long term. Choosing to buy local creates a stronger, more sustainable economy for all of us, rather then just the usual bigwigs eating up all the smaller family businesses, until it is a community filled with no personality or money!
When we all think about where we are spending our money then society can get to a better place for you and your local community. So take a second to consider where your hard earned cash is going, so we can help our local economies thrive and create a better, stronger community for you and your neighbours.
Remember, buying local isn't just buying apples that actually taste like apples, or discovering it is actually your Cousin who is making Pigeon Pencil Cases on Facebook. It is about supporting your local community and people. It is about diving into different cultures and characters that make the area you live worth living in!
So...does it really matter if we Buy Local? Yes we think it does.
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