Shopping small for the holidays has become a huge campaign in 2020. For so many people the current pandemic has hit their businesses hard and they are struggling to stay open. In support of this, I want to talk to you about why shopping small and local is important!
This initiative supports one of the 17 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that helps us in becoming a more sustainable society. It has been shown that by supporting small businesses the money you put in goes straight back into your community and helps them to thrive.
Other benefits include personalisation and the service. I know I love shopping with small and local businesses because the relationships I have developed have led to finding people who have similar interests to me. I don’t think I’ve ever bonded with someone over the top I got from New Look, but the one-off that was made from recycled bedding started some conversations and now I’ve found a community of likeminded people! Plus, the relationships you form with the businesses could mean some nice discounts or getting items quicker...
You can feel a sense of pride knowing the impact you are having on these businesses. A share on Instagram can really make a difference for them. My family started shopping locally due to the lockdown and my dad even started his own allotment a year ago and now supplies our neighbors with all his wonderful produce (no bias). By shopping local we reduce the mileage it takes for products to be transported which helps the environment.
When I moved to Leicester to study business, we were told Leicester was the top entrepreneurial city because so many of the businesses are owned by people in our community. This is such a wonderful and beautiful endeavor to be a part. Not only to help see someone's dream thrive but to also see more businesses to join in and be successful! I love places like Amazon and Argos but instead of buying that huge box of chocolates for your nan from Tesco, why not see if you can make them yourself with local ingredients or find someone local who could make her a personalised box! The small things mean more to people, especially this year.
I love shopping small and local and this isn’t just an important message this year. It’s something to remember every year and if there isn’t a business out there doing what you need, well then pick a pad and pen and create it yourself! It all helps in the bigger picture of supporting our friends, supporting our communities, and supporting our planet.
SHOP SMALL. SHOP LOCAL. SHOP SMART
Joanna Dine-Hart
Union Development Executive
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