It Is Better to Buy From Locally Owned And Operated Businesses Because...

It should be obvious to anyone who considers the matter, that having a bunch of big box chain stores in your community means that all the locally owned businesses in the community will suffer.  If you look at this further though, if all the profits are draining out of your city and out of your region to corporate headquarters somewhere else, that money is lost to your economy.  Small businesses provide more jobs than big boxes.  Locally owned businesses spend more money in the local economy that do chain stores, even if there is a local franchise owner.  Corporate policy always demands that all materials for sale are purchased from head office.  This ensures profit for the head office on every purchase, and it eliminates local suppliers from almost every shelf in the store. What would be best for the local economy is if local products were the main course, and we got only things like oranges and bananas from other places.

Here are a few studies that have looked at the financial impacts of locally owned and operated businesses verses chain stores.

The Andersonville Study 

The Midcoast Study

Big Boxes Drain City Revenues

The Austin Study

Some other networks of people fighting to protect or rebuild their local economies include:

Salt lake Vest Pocket Coalition;

Balle (Business Alliance for Living Local Economies)

This is  network of locally based organizations who are trying to promote locally based economies in their regions.  It is a North American Network at present, with chapters all over the US and a few in Canada.

Regina Ecoliving Guide (no website yet) Get phone number and e-mail permission.

Here is an article describing in more detail why local businesses are better for the economy.