-
Website
http://blog.citysquares.com/ -
Original page
http://blog.citysquares.com/2008/06/10/practicing-what-we-preach-the-only-buy-local-challenge/ -
Subscribe
All Comments -
Community
-
-
Top Commenters
-
Popular Threads
The fact of the matter is we live in a global economy. Further, the products we all enjoy, and view as necessities of life, and the companies that bring them to us, are global. The keyboard I am typing on was developed in California, and contains parts from no less than three Asian nations. It would be 100% impossible to buy a keyboard totally produced in MA. And, any "local store" that sells computer parts is going to sell them at a considerably higher price than Best Buy.
How about groceries. Maybe one could find some local produce and seafood from MA. But if you want a steak, or a banana you'd better be prepared to buy from another country. Not to mention that unless you're shopping at a farmer's market, ALL grocery stores are large hundred million dollar businesses.
Trade works when areas specialize in producing the products they are most efficient in producing. Similarly, economies of scale dictate that most larger companies can provide products at a cheaper price, in less time, than smaller businesses. The idea of buying local is ridiculous. Remember, all large companies started off as one, small, local business. Should they be abandoned simply because they are popular outside of their municipality?
First of all, buying from locally owned businesses DOES create a more favorable economic outcome for communities. Economic studies have proven that for every $100 a customer spends, $63 stays in the community if they spend at locally owned business, vs. $48 if they don't. That's 25% of every dollar we spend.
Now the point about products made and sourced in our communities is valid. However, there ARE opportunities to go more local in your spending. Buy Adirondak or Polar soda instead of Coke & Pepsi. Buy local produce whenever possible. However, there probably aren't local keyboard manufacturers. So buying locally made products isn't possible in that situation. But it's the intent that matters....try to buy from local companies WHEN POSSIBLE!
Onto groceries. Mr. Smith makes bold statements of fact that are completely inaccurate. There ARE local chains of supermarkets (Johnny's Foodmaster, Foodies, City Feed & Supply, Market Basket) that offer more local alternatives to the national chains. And I've done the price comparisons...there may be some items that are less expensive @ Shaws but overall the prices are nearly equal at local chains. Also, I personally shop for meat & veggies at a local butcher and farm stand/farmers market. The REALITY is that I spend somewhere between 25% and 50% LESS than I would at a national chain for the SAME PRODUCTS. There has been a disinformation campaign for many years putting out the idea that local businesses are more expensive. But the data never lies, and this is just not true, ESPECIALLY when it comes to food.
The arguments made in this comment are the standard Friedman Free Market economic platform that has permeated the majority of our economic policy for years, to the extreme detriment of our small businesses and communities. These policies support consolidated markets, without true competition with windfall profits going to multinational corporations. They cause markets to fail. Organizations like ours are working to correct these failures, one community at a time.
And the first thing we must do is educate our friends and neighbors. We must help them understand that going local IS sustainable. And debunking these false perceptions is step #1
Locally Yours,
Joe G.