Shopping has been made so easy nowadays, you can just click a few buttons on your phone and you will get your desired item in just a few days. Shopping is a great way of entertainment but businesses in this day in age have been struggling. With the big corporate fashion industries taking over the local businesses are getting a decreasing amount of sales. It is easier to just order from a big/well-known store online than a local business that you have to drive to. To solve this recurring issue, shop local this holiday season.

In the US according to a zenbuisness article in “Why Small Businesses Fail” news source 20% of local business startups fail in the first year, and by year 10 only 33% of local businesses survive. Think about your shopping this past month, how many of your purchases have been from local businesses and how many from big businesses? I think this holiday season everyone should plan to buy at least one thing for each person on your list from a local business, I think it will be challenging but great for our local businesses. 

Big businesses are more popular because they typically have more to offer and they have a much bigger following, celebrities endorse these companies and commercials promote them so it seems like a great idea to buy from them.

In addition to Black Friday shopping a new way of shopping has been introduced, Small Business Saturday “it’s not about quality. It’s about quantity. Small business is really about quality. It’s about connection.” Said Tom Rogan a small business owner in the MetroWest Daily News.  Small businesses have a deeper meaning and purpose these are people who have risked it all to start their own business in something they are passionate about and they hope that you will see that. Small business Saturday occurs on the Saturday right after Black Friday and it’s a whole day to encourage people to shop locally, even though Small Business Saturday has already occurred this year you can still celebrate it on your own time by buying locally. 

Some might argue that Buying locally is typically more expensive, it may be more expensive because not enough people buy from them and more people just want a deal but the more people who buy from the local businesses the less the prices will become because they will be making more money and reducing their prices for the appeal. Some local businesses now have higher prices because without them the business would very unlikely survive, they don’t make enough income. So I challenge you to buy at least one thing this holiday season for each of the people on your list from a local business. Support something bigger than yourself this holiday.