At Ballymena Today one of our primary messages is that we all should shop local when possible. We started to blog about the importance of shopping locally over 8 years ago and the message is just as important now as it ever has been. Here are three things that happen when you shop locally.
Photo by Igor Ovsyannykov on Unsplash
1/ You benefit from local expert advice
By shopping locally you are supporting a local business person and that wont go unnoticed.
In Ballymena there are lots of long established family businesses who know their craft and trade inside-out.
One of the best things about supporting these local businesses is that they should give you the best advice. They are in a unique position where they know your location and their local environment. You also can be sure that they will want you to be a satisfied customer because then you will not only come back again but your will hopefully tell others about how good they are.
2/ Strengthen the local community
Ballymena is the place where we live and the more we support our local businesses the longer they will be on our streets.
Over the past few years we have witnessed enough empty shop units to last us a lifetime.
Of course, one person shopping in the town centre rather than online won’t make a massive difference but if we all did that regularly for one or two products then it would undoubtably strengthen our local shops.
And there are so many great community groups and projects where you can get involved and really become part of a local community. Ballymena runners man the weekly Ecos Park run every Saturday morning, the library host many community group and book clubs and there are writers groups and theatre companies to get involved with.
Photo by Scott Van Daalen on Unsplash
3/ Keep money in our town
By spending your money locally your are investing Ballymena and keeping the money in our town. It might not seem like a big deal but it is local businesses who sponsor local teams, help local organisation and charities (often without any publicity) and support local schools. In fact many local businesses accept work experience students and take on summer workers locally – giving young people a chance to learn the ropes and earn while the study or decide what their next step is.
Research on spending by local authorities shows that for every £1 spent with a small or medium-sized business 63p stayed in the local economy, compared to 40p with a larger business. (Source)
Statistics like that certainly make you think. More money in Ballymena means more opportunity, more jobs and a livelier high street.
Consider this the next time you click a website to look for a product – could you buy this locally? Could you support a local Ballymena business or organisation?