I shop online. Amazon mostly. It’s cheaper and faster. It’s in front of my face and at my fingertips. I take a break from writing and find some good deals. But if Amazon can offer what I am looking for at a good price, how come I’m spending more money than ever online?
I shut my laptop and go over to Oakwood Village. I go inside Sage & Thistle Handmade Goods near the corner of Oakwood and Rogers. The first thing that hits me when I walk inside is the fragrance. There’s a lot of homemade soaps here and mixed essential oils: everything is displayed on wood furniture. Like Sam the co-owner says, this sensory experience is something you can’t get online.
Sam and I get to talking about the economy. He says that shipping for him is very expensive. It costs him $20 to ship a package to your door. He can’t compete with Amazon whose huge volume of packages gets them the best deals with carriers.
After speaking with Sam, I walked to another local shop in Oakwood Village: Grace Jasmine Flowers Studio. I spoke with the owner, Chloe. She’s been on Oakwood for two and a half years. She says she depends on off street shoppers. Chloe says she’d like to expand online, but it would be to get more locals to shop at her place.
And that’s the thing. Every local shop depends on you and me. Local residents. But are we able to resist Amazon?
It’s a lot harder than you think. Amazon uses the world’s most sophisticated marketing algorithms targeting our brains to keep us buying and paying more. Leaving their website before you’ve bought something, then something else, and one more thing, isn’t really an option. Few of us can escape Amazon after one purchase and our wallets suffer as a result.
But for those of you willing to break from Amazon, shopping local has some real advantages.
First, you’ll save money. You’ll get what you need, not everything you want. You won’t buy up half a store. Second, shopping local means getting outside, getting fresh air and talking to store owners. It could be awkward at first because we’ve been holed up inside for so long during and after the pandemic, but overall, it’s good for us. You’ll find what you need, and the shop owner will learn what you like. And third, it keeps our main streets vibrant. Local demand means more unique places will open up, rather than big chain stores.
There are other factors of course that are affecting Mainstreet, but getting out there and shopping local is one way to make your money work for your neighbourhood, and buck Jeff Bezos and his billions.
