Reclaim Democracy: Give a Gift to Your Local Economy

[marmar]

Give a Gift to Your Local Economy
Holiday shopping choices make a big impact on your community


Print-friendly Page By Stacy Mitchell
Published December 9, 2007



Whether to patronize a chain or a locally owned business is not top of mind for many holiday shoppers, but it should be. It's a choice that has profound implications for our economy.

If you shop at an independent toy store, such as Be Beep in Annapolis, Maryland, you will likely see products made by Beka, a small toy manufacturer in St. Paul, Minnesota.

A family-owned business, Beka has opted not to sell to chains like Target and Wal-Mart. Doing so, explains co-owner Jamie Kreisman, would require moving production to low-wage factories overseas, which would eliminate what he and his brothers most love about the business: their relationships with their employees and working hands-on with their products.

Beka is healthy, but its future depends entirely on the survival of independent toy stores. Over the last decade, Wal-Mart and Target have aggressively overtaken this sector and now capture 45 percent of U.S. toy sales.

If you buy groceries for your holiday meals at an independent grocer, like Catalano's Market in Fresno, California, you will find lots of food produced by small-scale, local farmers, such as Paul Buxman. .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://reclaimdemocracy.org/independent_business/shop_locally_holidays.php

[fed-up]

1. our local paper did a great LONG article on buying local-I was impressed

http://www.chicoer.com/ci_7734297?source=most_viewed

Close-to-home products add a personal touch to holiday gift-giving
By LAURA URSENY - Business Editor
Article Launched: 12/16/2007 12:00:00 AM PST


Rather than the traditional slippers, gloves or chain-store gift cards, holiday shoppers are being more selective about what they wrap up.
And there's good reason. Gift givers would like to be remembered for a meaningful gift. Buying a gift that's made locally can do just that.

Local farmers, merchandisers and manufacturers are realizing that their backyards may be among their best bets for loyal customers. Work by local artists, available at galleries, is another great gift idea.

What follows is an incomplete list of some of the local stores and shops that feature locally created items, ranging from clothing and gourmet food, to home decor and books.

..snip

[RB TexLa]

2. And everyone who works in the delivery of goods? Or the people who maintain the systems that

process online orders? They don't deserve my support? What did they do to deserve that?