Local Life - Wigan - July 2020

6 News & Features
5 Reasons to
Shop Local
It’s no secret that the vast majority of local business
owners are anxious how the next few months will
unfold.
Buying patterns for customers have changed
enormously during the lockdown and those
business owners who were forced to close will be
worried that regular customers won’t return. Will
those businesses who successfully adapted their
working practices to keep trading during lockdown
manage to keep hold of their new customers?
Here are 5 reasons why shopping local matters, now
more than ever.
Helping the Community
When you support a local business, you are
supporting those friends, family, and neighbours
who need to use that business. The availability of
local shops is especially important for the elderly,
the vulnerable, young
people and those without
access to private transport.
The more local businesses
there are, the more money
that local councils make in
rates, the more they can
spend on supporting local
infrastructure and public
services.
Helping the Local Economy
When residents shop at
local businesses, profits
from their transactions
tend to stay within the
local economy, helping to
improve their community as
a result. Likewise, local small
businesses buy locally as well, pumping more of
the profits from their economic activity back into
the community than their global counterparts,
sparking economic development.
Better for the Environment
Shopping local means less mileage and fuel costs
for you, which helps reduce CO2 emissions. In
addition to this, local shops often stock locally
sourced goods, which have a low carbon footprint.
Job Creators
Small businesses are job creators, and most of
those jobs are local jobs. Rather than having to
commute to Manchester or Liverpool, employees
work closer to home. When a town or village has
a vibrant commercial centre, it also creates ample
opportunities for these workers to shop at other
local small businesses.
Community Involvement
Small business owners mostly
live in the local area and are
often help local clubs and
organisations, sponsoring
sponsor local sports teams,
donating to local charities and
participating in community
charity events.
We know it’s tempting to nip
to Robin Park or to Gemini,
or to buy online. But, by
choosing to spend locally
with independent shops and
by using local tradesman, you
can do your bit to help protect
jobs and keep money flowing
around Wigan’s economy.