Shopping Local: It's More Than A Trend

There is one day a year that there is national push for shopping local, Small Business Saturday. (Fun Fact: Small Business Saturday started in 2010 (American Express)). Only one day is dedicated to supporting others dreams. The Saturday after everyone has already spent big money at department stores for considerably discounted items do we then second-handedly decided that whatever is left over of our budgets will we spend at small businesses. Not only that, but we expect these small businesses to match the prices that we received at the big box stores...

This may be cliché but America WAS built on aspiring dreams. These dreams include building a business that we could call our own in order to support our family and hopefully generations to come.

Do you even think where your money goes when you buy from a big business versus a small business? When you buy from a big business your money will eventually lead to a millionaire CEO, whose name you don't even know, being able to buy a third vacation home on a private island in the tropics. When you buy from a small business the money goes to the owner, who you know on a first name basis, to be able to buy groceries for their family that week. Or their child's after school activity. Or their store manager's rent that month (I had to throw myself in there). 

While it is almost impossible to spend our entire spending budgets on small businesses, why are we not supporting our own communities when we can? Why do we trust a celebrity, who we have only had superficial 'interactions' through social media with, on their recommended products when they were paid hundreds of thousands may be even millions of dollars without even trying the product? Yet we question our neighbors who spent their lives savings to open a business and countless of hours and sleepless nights researching, experimenting, and testing to ensure that they bring the best product to their own community, most likely with you in mind specifically?

With the current global pandemic occurring as I type and you read, my prayers go out to all the small businesses that are struggling to keep afloat. When a big business decides to close its doors they are have an EXTREMELY LARGE buffer budget for crisis' like the current one we are living through. When a small business closes its doors that 'until further notice' sign may soon turn into a 'closed' forever sign. A big business won't flinch at letting go of their in store workers. While a small business owner is more likely to scrape together the little they have left to ensure their employees, no their work family, can survive another week.

During this crisis, I want to call for you to support your favorite local business. It doesn't even have to be the Pink Valise boutique (but I will personally be offended if its not)... Support comes in many different forms. Buy a gift card. Shop online. Repost on social media. Refer a friend. Post on social media of you supporting local. Leave a positive review. 

Wishing everyone a healthy and safe quarantine. Thank you to all of the essential workers on the frontlines. Prayers to all small business owners and employees. 

Love, 

Kaytlyn Morrow 

Alpharetta Store Manager

Small businesses need your help. Support by staying home and shopping small. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/about/