Small Business Saturday has been around for three years and in that time people are increasingly seeing the value of shopping at mom and pops instead of the big boxes. As explained in a Treehugger article,
“[T]he best tool for greening our lives is Urbanity- building communities that you can get around in without a car. Where you can get what you need within walking or biking distance. That’s where small businesses come in to play. They are local, they support the community, and they make our main streets come alive.”
As explained in a West Michigan study:
“When West Michigan consumers choose a locally owned business over a non-local alternative, $73 of every $100 spent stays in the community. By contrast, only $43 of every $100 spent at a non-locally owned business remains in the community. There are so many reasons for that; the buildings are often locally owned instead of by some distant big developer; the real estate and sales taxes stay in the community; the wages paid to staff are often higher; the staff are local too and spend their money in the community.”
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