Shopping locally benefits everyone
Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be behind us, but for many, holiday shopping lists still loom long as Manitobans hit the streets hoping to stretch their spending dollars as far as possible.
One way to do that is to keep them close to home and buy locally.
In Manitoba, small and medium-sized businesses contribute 26 per cent of the province’s gross domestic product (the national average is 30 per cent), according to Statistics Canada. Whether you are shopping for gifts or for yourself, consider where your money is going.
Shopping locally, particularly in small, independent businesses, has an impact. Consider that, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, more that 70 per cent of Canadians not working in public service work for small businesses (companies with one to 49 employees). Approximately 250,000 Manitobans work in small businesses.
Of the 38,712 companies in the province, once you exclude public-sector employers, there are 38,136 companies; of those, 36,208 are small businesses, or roughly 95 per cent of private-sector employers.
All these people — shopkeepers, restaurateurs, retailers, service providers, professionals and more — live and work in this province, and they’re already spending their dollars in their communities. They pay for salaries, supplies, rent, taxes, utilities and so on. They also stay in the community and buy their groceries, clothe their kids and rely on local services such as hairdressers. The effects are far-reaching and important.
The fourth quarter of the year is a significant one for all businesses. This is when they make a substantial part of their annual revenue, counting on a surplus in the last final months to keep the doors open in the cold months of January and February. Now is the time to show your appreciation and support for the work they do.
There are less quantifiable factors as well, and one is what those companies add to the community in terms of diversity and culture. A strong local economy allows entrepreneurs to flourish, to bring something unique to the city, town or neighbourhood in which they operate. Think of a local salon, or butcher, or baker, or bookseller, or — in Winnipeg, especially — restaurant, among many other businesses. They aren’t offering cookie cutter products, but something unique and dynamic. Whether they’re just getting started or have become an institution, they add a lot to a neighbourhood and our lives — something not easily replaced once it’s gone.
There’s been a trend recently to purchase consumer goods that are ethically produced and manufactured.
But buying locally is also ethical. It suggests a commitment to the local entrepreneur who is part of the community and provides more than just a product for sale, but is an integral part of this province’s GDP and economic health. Everyone wins.