Why Should You Shop Locally In Fort Collins?
In the age of online food services and drone-to-door delivery, it’s hard to make sure you’re spending your money wisely. Not wisely in the sense that you should be anxiously budgeting, but making sure your money is spent somewhere that matters; your community.
We rarely think about supporting our local communities, which is understandable when you could live stream a concert in New York from the comfort of your bed. So what does it really mean to shop local?
When you shop locally, the business and stores that sell you their products or services are more likely to reinvest that money back into the community. That means that those businesses you spent your time originally supporting will continue to support other local shops, farms and organizations to get the products they need in order to effectively sustain their business.
Why does it matter?
For starters, shopping local can benefit you directly and not just small business owners. The more money you, as a consumer, spend in local communities, the less you will pay annually in taxes. Sales tax spent shopping local is repurposed into your community for things like fixing potholes, reviving public transportation, and keeping the overall sales tax percentage lower. So for every $100 you spend somewhere like Old Town, $68 of that original $100 goes back into the Fort Collins community.
Another reason it matters is because it helps to build a unique community experience to attract tourists and other visitors. If you think about it, you don’t come to Fort Collins to visit a Target. People flock to our unique community for exactly that; the community we build through supporting one another, including small and local businesses. According to Richard Moe, President of the National Historic Preservation Trust, “When people go on vacation they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.”
The last major reason you should care about shopping local is to help give local jobs. Especially in a place like Old Town where college students are looking to earn some extra cash for their Friday nights (which might just end up being spent here in our community), shopping local means that you support hiring local employees.
Of course Big Box stores need locally sourced associates for their franchises too, but a huge part of the experience in Old Town is the spirit brought to you by the employees. Yes, you can always find the overly peppy one or the just rolled out of bed and couldn’t care less one, but more frequently employees in Old Town make your local shopping experience something special.
It all comes back to the notion that if you support a local business then they, in turn, can support more local businesses. This circle of life effect helps to create a thriving community, healthy tourism, hard workers, and better town benefits. So, why haven’t you been shopping local this whole time? You should, if not for all these benefits, then maybe to treat yourself and those around you. Skip the trip to the strip mall and enjoy Old Town and all the Fort Collins local shopping community has to offer!
