When asked why it’s important to shop locally – particularly during the pandemic – the resounding sentiment among three of South Delta’s business leaders was, use it or lose it.
With all the challenges that the local business community has faced, and continues to face, it’s vital that local residents keep their hard-earned money circulating within our community, explains the Tsawwassen Business Improvement Association’s executive director, Michelle Barlow.
“Continuing restrictions, closures, reduced capacity and supply chain issues present barriers that are difficult to overcome and, unfortunately, some have had to make the difficult decision to close their doors,” said Barlow. “If we don’t want to lose any more local businesses, we must choose to spend our dollars locally.”
And though we do have a wide range of specialty stores offering brilliant goods and services, it’s important to remember that our local businesses offer much more to our community than just those things, added Delta Chamber of Commerce’s executive director, Jill McKnight.
“Businesses within our community, small businesses particularly, are paramount in shaping the fabric of our community,” said McKnight. “They provide places to gather and connect with others, they employ people from within our community, allowing our residents to live, work and play within their neighbourhoods.”
Local businesses also offer a sense of connectedness and belonging that, otherwise, gets lost shopping at a larger, less personal-feeling retailer. When you shop local consistently, you have the opportunity to build relationships with the merchants and the shoppers there, says Ladner Business Association president, Janice Lawlor-Cooper.
“There is a ripple effect every time we shop, and when we shop locally, the positive impacts start to ripple through your local community, touching the lives of your friends, family and neighbours,” said Janice Lawlor-Cooper.
The pandemic has pushed businesses to adapt how they offer their goods and services, like launching online stores, offering curbside pick-up, complimentary shipping and even free delivery, explains McKnight.
These features not only contribute to public safety, but also to the shopper’s convenience.
However, not everything you need or want will always be locally available, and in those situations, it’s always worth asking around at your local shops before taking your business elsewhere, suggests McKnight.
But supporting local businesses goes beyond just financial interactions, so if you can’t find the item or service you’re looking for at a local shop, there are other ways to boost them up.
Recommending their business to a friend or family member, writing them a positive review, commenting on or sharing their social media posts, showing up to their events or purchasing a gift card for someone else to discover the store’s magic, are just some other ways to help out, says McKnight.
