It is that time of the year when Christmas presents need to be bought. But the decision as to whether to buy online or from our local shops was a dilemma.
On the surface the dilemma is easily resolved. Online shopping is cheaper and convenient. Click on the web site and a few days later a package appears on the doorstep. No walking along the high street searching for a present. But with the recent disruption to the mail by the postal strikes and delivery companies failing to deliver parcels on time then the convenience part of the online shopping equation was under question.
When I was looking for a particular book as a Christmas present I found that there was a £5 difference between my local bookshop and buying online. Given the recent problems with buying online I asked myself whether price and convenience should be the only criteria. Was I drunk on convenience which is fuelled by relentless marketing or should there be other factors that I should take into account?
Searching on the web produced some interesting facts. For example, research has shown that for every £1 spent with a local business, 63p stays in the local community compared to 40p that is spent in a large store. Local businesses pay their taxes while it is not clear if online companies pay any tax at all! There was even a discussion that a vibrant high street increases house prices.
So I headed off to my own high street with open eyes to gather some information. The first, and maybe obvious fact, is that when I see a product in the window or on the shelf I can buy it there and then. Job done! If the shop doesn’t have the product then they can usually get it quicker than I can by going online. Then there is the personal experience in shopping. I can get helpful advice: the butcher gives excellent advice on cooking a particular cut of meat, the wine merchant helps to select a wine to go with a particular meal, the builder’s merchant advises on house repair problems and the my regular chats with the newsagent puts the weeks news into context. If I cannot find the item that I am looking for then I have to blow the dust off s my imagination and came up with something that I wouldn’t have thought about which has produced some interesting presents!
Local businesses are highly innovative and adapt quickly to the changes in their customer’s needs. Also, because they are local they don’t suffer from the much discussed supply chain disruptions. During the recent egg shortage when Sainsbury’s were importing eggs from Italy our local egg producer made sure that there was always eggs on the shelf. There are many more reasons to support local business: they support local charities by donating products and services to raffles, charity shops are part of the recycle movement which reduces waste, reduction in carbon foot print and even the health benefits in carrying the items home.
2022 was the year that I did the vast majority of my Christmas shopping using local businesses. What I have found is that I have bought less presents but better quality, and using second hand, shops my overall budget has been reduced. The power is with us as the shopper as to how we spend our money and we can use the power to develop our local businesses. But what about the difference in price between online and local shops? For me it is an investment in the local shops which will ultimately benefit the local community.