We hear it so many times around us: shop local! But why is it necessary and useful to do so? There are several reasons why shopping local is good. This can be economically, environmentally and personally.
In this article I will share these three reasons with you and explain why local shopping can be important. Even for yourself.
.Local environment.

You might be able to imagine that, especially in these covid times, stores have it difficult. And it even could be that when the stores finally can open again, some will never open their doors anymore. Even big stores can have this consequence. By shopping physically or order online for local stores (could even be restaurants, fashion stores, and more) you can keep up the local environment!
Something that is only known by me because I work in a familiar brand store, is that the web shop of a brand may not always be the same company as the store of that brand. This means that when you order online (for whatever reason you have), you do not keep the stores open. Right now it is not always possible to shop in the physical store, but when that is possible again, please do not go in store to just fit anything and than afterwards purchase it online.
.Less transport.

Of course, local shopping could also mean less transport. One notion: this is not always true and some research might be needed. But there are some ateliers and stores that sell items from local designers and artists for example. This mostly means that the things you purchase have not travelled the world around, which is usually the case when purchasing from large stores. Also local farms can sell their own products, or at EkoPlaza you can purchase local milk for example.
Local does not always mean directly from ‘your place’. It could also mean ‘your country’ or ‘your continent’. Of course those two options are less local, but more local than around the world.
I want to sketch an example of how a general fast fashion item travels the world. Since there are a lot of travels that are not known since only one country is usually mentioned in the label. So, the design is made in country 1 and send to country 2+. It is even possible that the fabric comes from a different country than where the garment is made. Than the first sample gets send to the design company and is validated or not. This design part can take multiple times. So, this is already a lot of transport. And than after the final garment is made they are send over the world to the distribution centers, followed by a transport to the stores. Want to learn more about the fashion industry? Check this Fashion Transparency Index!
.Keep up your favorite shops.


Especially now, stores have to close since they cannot get around anymore, which I mentioned earlier. That could also mean that the local stores where you can find unique presents, accessories, etc., or eco products for example, cannot make it. They need people like you, who know their value, to spread the word and to have enough customers. I think it would be a pity if stores with such great value cannot make it through times like these. This also counts for coffee shops, lunch rooms, and restaurants.
There are also a lot of small businesses, who do not have a store but have to compete online with all the bigger brands and competitors. Those can also be part of your favorite shops and might benefit from your purchases or word spreading.
I hope that my message and explanation is a little bit more clear to you. And I do not say that you have to spend all your money (which you might need yourself a lot too) to keep up stores you like. I want you to think about this more often and see where you can maybe make a difference.
Which local store/small business do you want to support?
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