The Importance of Shopping Small During the Holiday Season

Shopping small gives people the chance to truly celebrate and support their community and over the years, customers have been supporting their local businesses by shopping with them more often. Here are some helpful tips to help you shop small!

Shopping Small Impacts Communities:

When even just visiting a family owned restaurant, boutique, or store, you are already supporting and making that small connection with them. They and their families have invested in creating that business, the products and all that you see surrounding you.

Small Businesses are Online as Well:

You can also shop online from local businesses. Take advantage of local business directories. You can always Google places and use the local search aspect or ask for local recommendations from friends via Facebook.

Visit an Expo or Pop Up Shop:

There are many artisan markets, holiday shopping expos and even pop up shops in the area. Look for these events happening around you. You can pick up unique gift items for your loved ones, and maybe a little something for yourself.

Make It an Adventure:

If you’re going out shopping for the holidays, make it a point to try new places to eat, new places to shop. This gives you a chance to explore your immediate community and other small areas around you. Visit a downtown area or small business district. Many of them plan shopping events too. Park and walk, take time to discover the area with all of the charm and uniqueness it has to offer.

Small businesses play a critical role in improving our everyday lives – creating jobs, products and services, and serving as launchpads for new industries as they scale – and the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced their importance for our communities and Main Street economies. The pandemic also further illustrated their resilience, ability to be nimble, and ability to adjust to the changing environment. Some had to adapt to online sales and scheduling deliveries. Others had to determine how to alter the work environment so they could continue to manufacture products and keep employees safe. And still others innovated and developed new ways to operate to continue to meet customer needs.

Your efforts will fuel small businesses, support your local community, create jobs, and give back to the community.