Shop Local
These posts, from e tells tales, about her husband losing the family grocery, are breaking my heart. I mean, he did everything right...it's not fair that things ended up the way they did just because the playing field isn't level. Plus, I don't think a lot of people think about what they're doing when they choose Wal*Mart over the local grocer.
I hate Wal*Mart. Partly because my brother who died hated it, and someone's got to carry on that legacy, you know? Partly because it's just such an unpleasant shopping experience. Partly because I think they carry a lot of crap. But mostly, because of what it does to small local businesses.
Except for where I live now, I've been really lucky to have lived my whole adult life in places where small local shops and restaurants and bars etc. are easy to come by (Boulder, Seattle, Austin, San Francisco, Santa Barbara). And even here (Grand Junction, Western Colorado), we have such a great downtown. We live downtown, and part of the reason is so I can walk or ride my pink bike with the wicker basket to do errands. I try to do most of my shopping at the small downtown businesses, although there are trips to Target (I know, I know, not much better than Wal*Mart), and recently Starbucks because they have a drive-through and twin babies are the reason drive-throughs were invented. (Although if I have time I still walk to Main Street Bagels with the twins in their stroller and get my coffee there).
Anyway. It's easy to say Wal*Mart and the like are the reason small family businesses aren't making it. And that's partly true. But it's also about the choices we all make. Sure, it's cheaper to go to Wal*Mart. But would you rather have one super cute kid's outfit from the adorale little shop on Main Street, or five poor quaity boring ones from a box store? And would you rather live in a town where you have cool places to shop, and where the people who own the stores know you, or where everything is homogenous and ugly and impersonal? I'd rather have the former, and am willing to spend money to do my part to make sure those shops stick around.
(Note: I DO spend some money at places like Target, but I try to minimize it.)
(And also, I'm not rich, but we have a decent family income and I know that makes it easier. I always think about, you know, there are people who can only afford Wal*Mart. But I also think in most cases part of our culture is pressure to buy MORE...and do people really need all the stuff they buy? Or could they spend the same amount, shop local, and just have less stuff?)
Anyway, something that's been on my mind a lot this week. Am I alone in thinking this way? Sure feels like it sometimes...
XOXO