Why Shopping Local Matters: How Your Purchases Strengthen Communities
Nov 19
7 min read
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It’s a Saturday morning, the Tucson sun is beating down, and the Rillito Park Heirloom Farmers Market is hustling and bustling with fresh produce and homemade products. Shoppers browse around, filling their baskets with tasty flavored cheeses, jars of sweet pickles, and plump, ripe tomatoes picked right off the vine. As you talk to the business owners, they tell you the stories of their carefully thought-out products. And their items in your basket glow with meaningful purpose.
Sounds amazing, right?
Local shopping is a great opportunity to slow down, admire the creativity of taste, and hear stories of business owners’ handcrafted creations.
Amazon and online shopping are readily available at our fingertips. The convenience factor is hard to beat.
But…
The generational impact of shopping locally is more important than ever in today’s economy.
When you shop locally, you’re not just getting quality customer service and the joy of “window shopping”; you’re also investing in your community and the local economy.
The truth is, shopping local isn’t just about convenience. It’s a small act of sustainability that keeps communities thriving.
Let’s explore why shopping local matters and how every purchase you make can transform your community — from creating jobs and keeping money flowing in your neighborhood, to environmental impacts.
Buying Local Supports Job Growth
No matter how you look at it, finding a job is tough. The daily grind of filling out applications, reaching out to references, and updating your resume is exhausting.
With so many people struggling to find employment today, buying local becomes a direct investment in your community’s job market. And as a bonus, those face-to-face interactions remind us what real customer service feels like.
In a world where we feel more disconnected than ever, this local connection can help us feel more allied to our neighbors and uplift the entire community.
When you purchase from local businesses, you are keeping jobs in your own backyard because small, local businesses love to hire people within the community.
As a bonus, all the money spent circulates locally. Keep reading to learn more.
Whether a barista, a handyman, or a realtor, it’s always nice to see a familiar face working in the store you’re shopping in. In fact, small businesses are the backbone of job creation in most economies, especially rural and suburban areas.
Take Arizona, for example. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, nearly 95,000 new jobs were created between March 2023 and 2024. Small businesses were responsible for over 80,000 of them. That’s 85% of the state’s total job growth.
Amazing, right?
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Shop Local and Keep Money in Your Community
As we mentioned earlier, shopping locally matters because it fuels the local economy and keeps the money circulating within your community.
This isn’t jus fluff but actually backed by research. In 2015, a study was conducted by the American Independent Business Alliance. This showed that for every $100 spent locally, $68 stays in the local economy. Compare that to big corporate businesses and chain stores, which only bring $43 to the local economy.
That’s a huge difference…
When money circulates within the community, small businesses can support other businesses, generate tax revenue, and fund crucial public services such as schools, roads, and healthcare.
Think about how important this is, especially for receiving healthcare. Southern Arizona Urgent Care has been a locally-owned business since 2012 and has expanded to have nine different locations across the state.
Whether taking your child for a sports physical, the sniffles, or X-rays, there’s always a smiling and trusted face at Southern Arizona Urgent Care.
And that’s priceless.
Local farmers’ markets are great for spreading the wealth in your community. Stephanie Spencer, business advocacy specialist at the Tucson Metro Chamber, said that farmers' markets are important in supporting a free-market economy. She recently said, “We like to keep money in Arizona and bring money back to the local community. I would say that those folks who are operating within farmers' markets are doing that.”
Entrepreneurs are known for bringing creativity and innovation to whatever they do, which can bring new life to your community.
Buying Local Encourages New Business and Development
Being a local entrepreneur brings about a spirit of creativity and entrepreneurial ambition. When business owners create a product or service that fulfills a need and helps people solve problems, it brings new life and growth into their local community.
The sense of innovation and rebirth fosters an environment of development and new opportunities. When you support local businesses, innovation begins to flourish and thrive by creating more healthy competition, better products, and a diverse economy.
Here’s how entrepreneurs can foster growth and innovation in their local community.
Small Businesses Boost Local Innovation
Entrepreneurs are known for bringing more innovation to their industry. Small business owners are typically more flexible and responsive than large corporations when it comes to adapting product lines or introducing novel ideas.
Why?
Because they listen carefully to consumer feedback and maintain a good rapport with their customers. This close connection often results in more unique offers, ones you can’t get anywhere else. Whether it’s handmade paintings designed by near by artists or specialty foods crafted with local ingredients.
Many people want to know if shopping locally is affordable. In the long run, yes.
While local shopping may seem pricier at first glance, it’s budget-friendly over time.
Local products typically avoid hidden costs like shipping and excessive packaging, with fair pricing that reflects direct interaction between you and the producer.
You'll also find that quality improves. For example, fresher produce means less spoilage and waste. Many people feel that well-made local goods require fewer repairs and replacements down the road.
Shopping local also has a lot of environmental benefits that will help your community, but, most importantly, it has a positive worldwide impact over time.
Helping Small Businesses Grow, One Purchase at a Time
It’s the small choices we make every day that can really add up. Encouraging people to shop locally can help foster small business growth, grow your local economy and help the environment. When the community consistently chooses local stores over large chains or online giants like Amazon, people know there’s strong support., This can encourage new startups to launch and create businesses that the community needs.
It takes the entire neighborhood to make this happen. It starts by making the simple choice of shopping locally.
Build your community. Help the local economy. Make a difference in the environment. All wins.
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The Environmental Benefits of Shopping Local
Choosing to shop locally supports sustainability and has many environmental benefits.
Most local businesses have smaller, localized supply chains, reducing their carbon footprint from transportation. Small business owners will source products from nearby suppliers, which results in reduced environmental costs that come from production and shipping. They value sustainability and eco-friendly practices, which play significant roles in the environment.
Local business owners have a sense of accountability to the people they serve and are more likely to use sustainable materials. They’re also more likely to support ethical labor practices and have less packaging waste.
By doing these things, these small business owners help build up their community in the best way possible.
Keeping Your Community’s Character Alive
People crave connection. We love to meet, collaborate, and connect over a meal, at the hair salon, or get together for coffee. Local businesses are the main hubs of community interaction. They create gathering places that become the cornerstone of every neighborhood.
They have a distinct experience and maintain the community’s character. Local businesses value their aesthetic and social impact. They show us how by improving storefronts, supporting community initiatives, and sponsoring events in their neighborhood.
Every time you shop local, you help preserve the unique character and creativity that defines your community.
Take The Buffalo Exchange, for example. Located in the Tucson area, Keristin Block started it in 1974 with the simple idea of buying and selling back clothing.
50 years later, her business model is still thriving. Her local shop allows customers to buy secondhand treasures and gives people the opportunity to sell their clothes for cash or trade them in for merchandise.
Keristin says, “We built our business on a lot of principles, such as respecting people and treating everybody fairly and listening to them. Those are our tenets in business.”
You can be like Keristin by supporting local businesses and fostering the same sense of pride in your community. Over time, you’ll come to see what a difference you can make.
Now, you might be wondering, when’s the best time to shop locally?
Anytime, of course. Most people hit the local streets during Small Business Saturday, holiday markets, and local festivals. So if you want to stand out, stop by in the off-season and show your support when these shops need it most.
Consider giving local gifts for birthdays and holidays, which supports small businesses while offering something unique and meaningful. Many Tucson businesses run special discounts and events throughout the year that make it fun and affordable to shop locally.
Shopping Local in The Tucson Area
Now that you know the many benefits of shopping local, take the first step in supporting a business in your community. Every time you buy local, you’re helping to build a stronger, more sustainable neighborhood.
This week’s challenge: pick a local store (that would love your support) and do your Black Friday shopping there.
Here are some excellent local shops to check out:
Injoy thrift store
Saguaro Square
Eden's Echo Country Store (okay, this one’s technically in Marana, but I had to share– take a peek, you won’t be disappointed.)
For those of us who have impossible gift givers in our lives, here’s an alternative idea: instead of buying your loved ones a gift, take them out for dinner, treat them to a local coffee shop, or offer to take them to a special event in your neighborhood.
Some great cafes to check out in Tucson are:
Savaya Coffee at the Flin
Cafe A La C’art
Scented Leaf Tea House
And remember, taking a few minutes to post a positive review online can make a real difference for local owners who rely on honest feedback. Some of them offer an incentive like a coupon or a free drink. Don’t be afraid to ask.
Shopping locally is important, but so are the local business owners. I haven’t forgotten about you!
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Which local Shop will you try first?
Comment below to let me know. 🙂
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