Why shopping small and local is wonderful
First of all, I’m not going to lie. There are times when I fall victim to the fast fashion world, or something I desperately need isn’t readily available when I need it. However, when and where I can, buying from small businesses or local creators is my go to these days. And I have many reasons for this. Here are just a few:
You know where your products come from
I love knowing where things come from. Whether it’s a tote bag hand made by a local creator, or whether it’s fresh veggies picked up from the Sunday market from a couple growing them in their backyard. I just love knowing who poured their love and attention into my belongings.
You appreciate the effort
I always find that when I’ve bought an item from someone who I know has handcrafted it, I’m 100 per cent more careful with it to ensure it lasts me as long as it possibly can — in many cases I am sure this will be a lifetime! I know someone has potentially spent hours and hours creating something, and now I’m the one who has chosen to care for it as much as they did while they were making it.
You build connections
How many times can you say that after you bought an item from a big chain you followed them on Facebook and got to watch their life unfold and their business blossom? It doesn’t happen as readily. Some of the small businesses I’ve bought items from, whether it’s personally or for my businesses, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to follow them on their journey and watch their lives carry out. You pretty much make friends while you’re shopping.
Happy dances
You’ve probably heard this saying before, but when you shop from a small business, the creator does a happy dance with every order. And there is no word of a lie in this statement. Every single time an order rocks through my website, I will drop everything and do a little boogie in celebration. Every single order means the world to small businesses. You’re truly helping someone or a family build their dreams.
Although it’s hard to shop small for everything, it’s getting easier to thanks to the world of online. I’d thoroughly recommend doing your research and planning in advance. With a little extra time, you can find something way higher in quality, and know you’re really rocking a little creator’s world with your order.