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Buying Local Does Matter
Posted by Sheila Redick on September 23, 2009 |
We ran across this interesting piece out of Hendersonville, N.C., on the economic effects of buying from local, independent retailers. This paragraph was particularly telling: "A recent study by the firm Civic Economics makes the issue crystal clear, for every $100 spent locally, $45 stays in the community. However, if the same dollars are spent at a chain store, the analysis found that only $13 of that $100 stays locally."
Big box goes local?
Posted by Kristian Buschmann on October 07, 2008 |
Ok, so Home Depot isn't suddenly swapping out inventory for locally produced products, but it would seem that their centralized purchasing model isn't cutting it. WSJ article here. A glut of mowers in the desert and a shortage of power tools where they are needed most was enough to get their purchasers thinking more about what local markets demand. We are already seeing a lot of localization activity in cities, from demand for original products to a backlash at far-flung bottled water. I find it interesting that this trend is affecting even the most un-local of things.