Loving local shopping
How buying local supports communities at Christmas
It’s not just one business owner who benefits when a local purchase is made, but an entire community, according to Jenn Mantin, who says shoppers loyal to local may not know how far their dollars go.
The Downtown Truro Partnership executive director says while such loyalties have always been strong in the Colchester area, many people might still be surprised to find out their impact goes further than supporting just one store.
Mantin says these dollars also support the store’s surrounding area, as business owners invest back into and support the community that supports them — something she says only increases at Christmas.
“Our business owners are a huge part of what makes Colchester a wholesome community. And at Christmas, you see that support grow even more,”she says. Treasures in Truro
The wider Truro area is one that has enjoyed a downtown shopping district full of Christmas gift options for the better part of a century. It is also one Mantin says has enjoyed steady support from its community of shoppers.
“People are realizing how much we can offer locally here in Truro. We’ll always be in competition with big-box stores, but people appreciate the local touch our stores offer,” she says.
Mantin says the town features clothing boutiques, outdoor apparel and music stores on Prince and Inglis streets and also boasts a farmers market, esplanade area and mall, in addition to the Marigold Cultural Centre, where events are held, and the town’s service industry that includes restaurants and spas.
It’s a long list of options that Mantin says locals know to pull from around the holidays. “A lack of support means some towns die out, but in Truro we’re lucky because of strong local support,”she says.“we are doing well and it’s because that support has never waned.” Crossing over to Colchester
The Truro and Colchester Chamber of Commerce counts 476 chambers members — a figure executive director Sherry Martell says shows supporting local business is a longstanding tradition in the area.
Martell says the area has plenty to offer, whether it’s Christmas light displays or shopping options. North of Colchester, Tatamagouche offers options including a local chocolate maker and store, craft beer microbrewery and a coffee roaster, along with a huge selection of shops along the town’s Main Street.
The south area offers several bakeries and the Stewiacke market, which sources local products, and the region’s western area also offers the market, creamery and butcher in Masstown, while the region’s North River area is home to a distillery.
“Go out, be social and meet folks who work behind the counter at these places while you find some unique items you cannot find in other places,”says Martell.
Mantin says shopping local is one of the biggest drivers for economic growth in Colchester and helps to create jobs and the cyclical patterns that ensure the town can continue to grow.
Mantin says the owners of the shops who benefit from those who are loyal to local then invest back into sports teams and other communitydriven events. And Martell says numbers prove it, with $46 from $100 spent locally staying within the community versus $18 from $100 at a big-box store.
She says the surge from local shopping could bring even greater support if it happened year-round and not just at Christmas and that it’s important to show this support as often as possible.
“These dollars go to employees and covering costs, but also giving back to nonprofits and sports teams. Our businesses are very generous and shopping at their store enables them to support others,”says Martell.