Can We Save Main Street?
One out of every 3 retail businesses closed and gone by the end of the year? That’s what over 1,300 retail businesses conveyed in our latest survey on the state of retail recovery.
Imagine we could flash forward to January 2021: We’re walking down Main Street together noticing all the closed restaurants, retail shops, and personal services businesses and you say:
“I wish there is something we could have done to keep this from happening. Why didn’t someone say something back in September when we could have done something?”
Now flash back to today—it’s September 2020. What are we going to do about it?
Why Spending Locally is Key to Saving Main St.
I’ve been bringing up this topic in every radio interview I’ve been doing of late and stressing the importance of shifting our spending back to locally-owned businesses.
One interviewer working to help me make my point asked me a simple question: “I need diapers for my child. Why shouldn’t I just buy them on Amazon and have them delivered to my front door?”
You can certainly buy them wherever you like but before you do… if I told you when you bought them at a locally-owned business that part of your purchase:
- helped employ someone in your community,
- helped a business that supports educational programs in our schools, resulting in higher property values for your home and more community resources for your children as they grow up and
- even provided possible job opportunities at locally-owned businesses
...would it change your mind about where you spent your money?
Our local main street businesses represent the lifeblood of the economic fabric of the community.
Covid-19 shifted all of us into survival mode with regard to where we spent our money from March through now, but we have to recognize this behavior badly damaged our local economies.
Vast amounts of our money that used to circulate around our communities (locally-owned businesses typically spend 50% to 60% locally) are now going directly from our wallets to corporate headquarters in far off places that invest literally nothing back into our communities.
How to Help Your Community Make the Shift
I totally get it. It’s hard to be a business owner who stands up in the community and says… look we really need your help. So why don’t we all do it together and give them a helping hand?
From now through the end of the year:
- Stand up and tell others how important locally-owned businesses are to you, to the community, to our mutual well-being.
- Share pictures of yourself visiting your favorite local businesses on social media.
- Use your email newsletters to encourage your customers and clients to shift their money back to locally-owned businesses.
Let’s all for the next 4 months repeat…My Money Stays Local. And together let’s slowly rebuild our local economies.
Here's how some of you plan on leading the charge:
"I am wholesale gift rep. This is what is happening: Most retailers are optimistic, but they are also cautious and are bringing in about 1/2 of what they did last year for 4th quarter. Forecast shows that people will put more thought into gifts this year, buying meaningful things versus gift cards. We can only hope this helps our hometown retailers. Every purchase in small business makes a difference. It is so important, now more than ever, that we support local!" —Leeann Desprez from Cape Coral, FL
"The past 6 months have been something else, to say the least. I have been in business 44 years in specialty retail, and this has been the roughest 6 months ever. You just have to give 100% to every customer, show that you appreciate them coming in and not going online. Re-educate yourself and employees that you're not just taking orders, but selling! Hope to still be in business in the next 6 months." —John Kline from Blacksburg, VA
"The Upper Tampa Bay Chamber is working hard to work with any and all businesses. We are having a scavenger hunt presently to bring attention to 100 businesses. We are starting up with our Relationship Builders breakfasts and lunches. We are honoring mask requirements and proper seating. Blessings to all!"—Wendie Roeper from Tampa Bay, FL
"I plan on shopping local to support our Main Street. That includes restaurants!" —Kelene Brown from Warrenton, VA
- To spearhead change in your community, join the My Money Stays Local Movement
- What will Main St. look like if we don't step in? These top 3 holiday retail trends paint the picture
- Find out more about how embracing the shop local movement can help your business
Comments (1-10)
I am the proud owner of a small retail clothing boutique for 6 years. Think big, shop small and spend local. We all need everyone's support now more than ever. Many thanks!
I'm running a buy local campaign here in British Columbia. A dollar spent locally is recirculated locally multiple times and slightly taxed each time. This pays for all of the services we depend on every day. If the dollar moves out of our community it is a handicap to all of the services required by us every day. As part of this campaign I'm lobbying for a reduction in retail sales tax for all items of local origin.
Although I appreciate these suggestions for spending locally, I further believe that mask mandates, physical distancing, and other unnecessary 'emergency' measures by Governor Whitmer need to be ended IMMEDIATELY. Good evidence suggests that COVID-19 no longer presents a more virulent, unique threat than typical flu varieties, and, that children are essentially not susceptible to COVID-19 unless they have significant co-morbidities; thus, schools should open without mask mandates or physical distancing ...
Opening up our society and our economy would be the most important thing we can do to save small businesses (and, consequently, 'main street').
We can all help save Main Street AND do it without masks and gloves. This nonsense has to stop in order for us to thrive!
As an esthetician, I like to see and touch skin before I recommend products. We need to see the skin without makeup for a proper result. The skin also can change with the seasons and it can be expensive to buy products online only to find that it doesn't suit you . Lots of products end up in the back of the drawer that way. But more importantly, human beings need to touch and be touched to thrive. We need to talk to each other before we forget how to converse. As convenient as online purchases can be, we need to recognize our humanity in person and support our local communities.
When you spend your money in a "BIG BOX" store, chain supermarket or chain drugstore, 90% of those dollars less local wages leave your community overnight. I know this is true because I am a retired Manager of a Location of the Largest Retailer in the U.S. Each night, our local bank account was drawn down by that day's sales. In fact, the Home Office counted our receipts hourly.
Shop locally owned businesses including Franchise businesses whenever you are able. Many of the dollars you spend with locally owned businesses actually become 3 - 5 dollars before they leave your community. Each local business owner will pay local merchants some of those dollars. You get your hair cut or nails done. That business owner pays their Accountant. The Accounts pays for lawn maintenance. That business owner pays employees, donates to their Church or a local charity. Some of those dollars are spent for salaries, which then enables the employee to get heir hair cut or nails done.
In Canada,
we honour Labour Day.
Supporting small and local businesses has always been important to me. Now it is critical for their survival.
In Vancouver BC, small business creates tons of jobs, and significantly contributes not only to the economy, but to healthier communities.
Also, being in Canada, we are aware that most of the large corporations that kill small business are also taking money out of our country. Forever. Low wages, low or non-existent taxes, and profits to shareholders outside of our own country.
Where you spend your money matters.
This article is great! I love the answer to “why?” buy local. Thanks for sharing! I have an idea for how to help also, that involves working with individual towns and their local businesses. Feedback is very encouraging, so far.
As a local business and having built and sold several over the years in other states; my business success is and has always been from local customers. Starting in Consumer Electronic Repair to Building Maintenance, then Catering and full circle back to Vintage Electronics Service & Repair local customers (individuals, guitar retailers, general businesses, schools & ProSound companies) have always been the life-blood of our businesses. It is a pleasure & privilege to serve those in the Winston-Salem / Triad area.