Buying local, politicians? Wait…what?
Daylight Savings is like the unofficial start of spring. You know, the time of year when things start growing—flowers, greener grass, election signs.
The political race for Mike Dages’s seat on City Council looks to be interesting; several candidates have filed their papers, and some have started campaigning fairly aggressively. Friend and fellow Sunnyside resident Mike Oz gave me a head’s up yesterday about this sign from Valerie Davis.
Look, I don’t know Valerie, and I wouldn’t rule her out as a candidate, but come on. “Bought local?” With or without my bias about the campaign she’s trying to align with, this phrase just sounds suspect.
Besides, without that tag, there’s plenty of room on the sign for an American flag.
Let the (political) games begin!
Buy Local: Barriers to competition
At a large group dinner last night, I struck up conversation with one of the partners at a local marketing/creative agency. In the context of “talking shop,” we discussed some of the obstacles that consumers often face when they choose to buy local. Often, they’re put in place by the business’s owners and/or leadership.
Dave shared a story. He noted that he takes vitamin supplements, and has chosen to buy them at a locally owned retailer located conveniently next to his gym. Dave’s willing to pay more to support a local business—$60, plus tax, compared to $40 tax-free if he orders online, actually. That’s the first obstacle. But the local shop often runs out of product, and Dave’s forced to either wait or shop elsewhere. That’s the second obstacle.
So why should Dave pay more for something that may or may not be in stock?
I’m all for buy local, but if we’re serious about its impact on the local economy, the need to educate business owners and shift their behavior is as great as the need to shift consumer behavior.
Office Depot does “local”
I want to make sure I get this straight: as a small business, I can tap into the buying power of a large chain to lower costs and compete with…a large chain? I wonder how that’s worked for independent office supply stores.
There are only three comments on the video—two buy in to the rhetoric, but one objects:
You just murdered irony.
Indeed, cynicallytested. Indeed.
