During a time of extensive modernization and mechanization, it is important to note how socially and environmentally devastating it can be to solely depend on mass production and chain stores. Support your local business for social, moral, and economic reasons. Here are a few reasons why you should switch up the way you use your wallet and instead, shop local!

• Benefit Your Health

As you probably know, chain stores often are motivated by money rather than quality. Thus, you will find genetically modified produce items that can be harmful to your health. As an alternative, look into local farms, like the strawberry farms in Brea, where the quality of the food is guaranteed to be free of unhealthy pesticides and full of refreshing tastes.

• Stimulate the Economy

When you support local businesses, you aren’t paying for mass companies to continue to expand; you are paying for families and their abilities to pay for their children, work, and more. Small businesses are also well aware of the struggles of being small businesses, so they are more likely to support fellow local businesses, thus creating a positive cycle of support.

• Build a Community

While shopping at a local business, you get to know and communicate with actual members of your community. Rather than a sole ambition for your money, the stores owners and workers want to interact with you, help you, and ensure the best service possible. A positive influence shopping at local stores is that the owners are always nearby and genuinely want to make each store visit a pleasant and meaningful experience.

• Save the Earth

Locally owned stores and businesses often look to local industries to source their inputs. In doing so, they use up less fuel to get the products they need, which not only reduces emissions sent into the atmosphere but also contributes less to global warming and pollution. Amber Li (12) comments that “we should always ensure our actions are as environmentally friendly as possible” and shopping locally is one healthy way to combat further environmental destruction.

• Support Innovation

Small and local businesses are often times experts in their specialties. After all, their “small” business are small for a reason– the owners and employees are artists in their own ways creating intricate recipes and products unique to their name. For this reason, you won’t find anything else like their products!

The next time you have a reason to shop, whether it be for a tasty snack or a new top, make sure to stop by a local business and make a positive difference in your lifestyle and your community by supporting your local businesses.