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Holiday shopping? Support your local businesses
By Angelica Rodriguez
On December 6, 2012
When it comes to Christmas, I can't help but have mixed emotions.
While I love the lights, colors, and warm fuzzies the holiday season brings, sometimes those
feelings are marred by exasperation over the "gimme-gimme" nature many people exhibit. It's
almost as though some people forget the holidays are about more than just stuff.
Black Friday is the obvious example of greedy corporations and greedy shoppers. This year,
people left the dinner table early on Thanksgiving to partake in the sales Target, Walmart and K-
Mart were having.
There were fights, arrests, and overall chaos the next day wherever there was money to be
saved. Large-scale companies will only increase their profits as the shopping season rolls on,
and I have to admit that's a good thing for the economy as a whole.
However, there's an important sector of the economy that we can't forget about. Small
businesses, while they don't hold the same appeal, have much to offer during the holidays.
These businesses are also the ones that need the most help. While corporations such as Target
and Walmart have huge marketing staffs and campaigns to match, the owner of that place down
the block from you is probably working hard to pay rent each month, let alone finance any kind
of PR push.
These businesses rely on your eyes -- and on word of mouth -- to prosper. That's why it's
important to shop local, especially at Christmas time.
We all love a bargain, myself included, and we love stores like Target that promise great stuff at
great prices. I know I can't leave that place without buying something.
Shopping in smaller stores is a little bit more expensive, but that's usually for a reason. These
business owners have a lot of financial strain placed on them.
And while there are institutions that help out - Buffalo State actually has a Small Business
Development Center that assists local entrepreneurs - there's a lot less certainty that things
will pan out compared to an established franchise. As a result, small business owners charge
more to make ends meet.
Small, local shops have an advantage because few, if any, of their goods are mass-produced.
You can find unique, one-of-a-kind gifts, whether it's clothes, keepsakes or books.
Oftentimes the products are also of better quality. That's not so easy to find in streamlined,
mass-produced, big-box stores. And for the quality of the items, the price really is quite fair in
most cases.
Buffalo has a lot of local business. Take a look down Elmwood Avenue, for instance. The
streets are packed with boutiques, bookstores and cafes.
Other streets, like Hertel Avenue and Allen Street are much the same, and there has been a
movement to revitalize the Grant Street area as well.
There's also Give Local a Chance, a non-profit organization dedicated to building a "local,
green, and fair" economy in Western New York.
But it isn't enough to just have these stores open up. We need to help keep them open.
Next time you're nearby a small business, stop in and check out what they have to offer. You
may be surprised.
Thankfully, people nationwide are becoming more aware of the importance of small business.
Consumer awareness of Small Business Saturday (the day after Black Friday) jumped from 34
percent two weeks prior, to 67 percent this year.
Those who knew about the day shopped and spent $5.5 million with independent merchants,
according to Buffalo Business First. That's a huge boost for local economies.
If we can keep up that kind of contribution our economy, then we really will be giving local a
chance.
Angelica Rodriguez can be reached by email at rodriguez.record@live.com
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