You have to hand it to Jeff Bezos and Amazon.com. They have built a pretty good mousetrap for capturing people’s spending, sometimes with just one click. He’s not worth over $100 billion for nothing. I have to admit, there have been times when I’ve chosen to shop online vs. shopping in a store. But I want to encourage all of us to resist that temptation — the Biddeford and Saco region and all of Maine will benefit if we kick the Amazon habit and buy local and shop small.
The benefits of buying local and shopping small are many. From an economic standpoint, 68 percent of what you spend locally ends up staying in our community. When that spending stays local, it creates a beneficial multiplier effect locally for jobs and incomes. Conversely, when you purchase from Amazon, those dollars go to Seattle, and never take the red-eye back to Maine. Your spending power is lost forever to our communities while Jeff cackles his fiendish laugh all the way to the bank.
Spending locally allows more area businesses to thrive, especially in the downtown areas, which encourages more development, and so on. Our area is so much more exciting in recent years with all the interesting new restaurants, retail stores, service providers, and residents that have moved into previously empty buildings.
Our overall quality of life is enhanced when you use your purchasing power locally vs. online. The fabric of our community is more cohesive and collaborative when we get out and meet one another, work with each other, and shop from people we know and trust locally. Our lifestyles are so busy these days that it takes a little more effort now to get to know one another in a community; all the more reason to make the extra effort to stop into a local store.
Another benefit of buying local and shopping small is the positive environmental impact. From a climate and sustainability standpoint, purchasing goods locally is a much better solution for the planet than costly shipping and packaging solutions from online sales, especially when it comes to perishable items. In general, the less miles for anything — especially in the air — and the less packaging, the better for the environment.
Mark your calendars to celebrate Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30. There will be a Maker’s Market from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Pepperell Mill Campus in Biddeford featuring local artisans selling handcrafted goods. Also, Saco Main St. will once again be giving away 300 gift cards worth $5 at downtown Saco shops, starting at The Saco Scoop at 10 a.m. Wear an ugly sweater and be entered into a raffle for a package of great downtown items. With the holidays fast approaching, ‘tis the season to start thinking about the impact your purchasing decisions make on your community.
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