Shopping at big-box stores like Walmart contributes to our society’s increasing poverty. When money is spent at big-box stores owned by corporations instead of local businesses, cash flow is being ripped from the local economy.
Unfortunately, prices at big supermarkets are often lower than at the local grocer, making it difficult for students to afford shopping there. (Ironically, if everyone shopped locally instead of at big-box stores, local businesses, like grocers, could afford to lower their prices.)
It’s a struggle to boycott mass-chain supermarkets for many reasons, and the competitive pricing at places like Walmart doesn’t help.
I’d be lying if I said that I don’t occasionally find myself wandering the aisles of Walmart, sifting through bargain-bin makeup and cheap home décor. Shopping at big-box stores does have benefits, like the affordable price of groceries, the convenience of a one-stop shop, and the incredible selection of cheap candles! But I’m not so sure those reasons are enough to persuade me to do all my shopping there.
The Huffington Post recently illustrated how if every family in the US spent $10 on local businesses versus chain stores, over $9.3 billion would be redirected back into the economy. That’s a huge step in the right direction.
For numerous reasons, my money is better spent at a business owned by my friends, family, or neighbours than at a business owned by a corporation. Unlike big-box stores and corporations, most local stores support local farmers or vendors, eliminating the need for mass transportation, resulting in a reduced carbon footprint.
Buying locally can also create more jobs and opportunities; the busier a business gets, the more staff it needs to hire. This would create more opportunities for grads looking to work in their chosen industry. For example, if everyone in Victoria chose to support local graphic designers instead of websites like 99Designs, graphic design studios could hire more local designers.
In addition to job growth and saving the environment being excellent reasons to shop locally, ethics also come into play. In April of 2013, a factory in Bangladesh containing thousands of Joe Fresh workers collapsed, killing and injuring over 1,000 workers.
If companies like Joe Fresh aren’t even capable of creating safe working conditions with the money spent on their overpriced clothing, then perhaps they don’t deserve our business.
Instead of spending money on Joe Fresh garments, choose a fair-trade company like Kaaru, founded by a Bengali woman vowing to pay her Bengali workers fair wages. Although Kaaru isn’t a local business, it’s a great way to support economical growth and basic human rights.
Although I still shop once in a while at big-box stores (it’s the cheap candles that get me), I have made the choice to support my local community as well as fair-trade businesses like Kaaru.
I have made the choice to have my money contribute to society instead of to the overflowing pockets of a multibillion-dollar corporation. I choose to support my neighbours. What do you choose?