Shopping small is more than an action, many consider it a mindset. Those who shop at small businesses are not only getting the goods they desire, they are also supporting the community as a whole.

Many studies have been conducted to see where the money spent at large chain stores versus small businesses goes in regards to the community. One of these studies were conducted in Salt Lake City, Utah. Various small businesses in the downtown portion of the city and larger chain stores were each given equal amounts of money in order to track how and where the money given was spent. This study, along with many other like it, showed that money spent at small businesses tends to be spend at other small businesses within the community rather than being spent at larger corporations or overseas. Spending money at small businesses, and in turn the small businesses spending that money within the community, causes the community to thrive as a whole.

Shopping at a small business can create jobs for those in your community. By choosing to shop at locally owned businesses your purchases are what is keeping those stores open and paying the employees’ paychecks as well as other fees that the owner may be struggling to do themselves. According to the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, in 2007 small businesses employed 99.7 percent of the United States. This trend has continued over the years, and today in the Ames community small businesses employ 83 percent of those around us including our friends, family, and neighbors.

The reputation of small businesses also comes from the quality of the goods or work they are providing. The products sold at boutiques tend to be more expensive than those mass produced for stores like Forever 21 that are based on fast fashion. The increased cost is essential for small businesses to make ends meet so they can keep their doors open. Typically, a clothing boutique charges customers two and a half times the wholesale price in order to pay for store utilities, employees, and upkeep; leaving little left over for a profit. Even if Forever 21 used the same two and a half times multiplier the retail price of their goods would still be below the retail price of boutiques. The main reason of this is due to the overall quality of the products at both types of retailers. Typically, the goods carried at small businesses are better constructed, made in America, exclusive in terms of brand, or fair trade products.

Shopping small also has a more positive impact on the environment. If you were to go on a shopping trip with a limited amount of money to spend, many people would end up buying shopping bags full of garments and products from large chain store because they think they are getting more “bang for their buck”. When in reality the people shopping this way are mainly impulse buying these things because of the price rather than basing their purchases off of need or longevity. This method of shopping is very focused on the current trends that will not be the same six months or even six weeks from now. In order for all of these sought after trends to be in stores at the pinnacle of the trend they must be produced and distributed at a rapid pace. This “turn and burn” attitude the fast fashion industry has causes the resulting products to be made, typically in less than ideal work conditions overseas, from cheap fabrics and constructed poorly.

In turn, the wear ability of the final products are drastically diminished before the garment falls apart and must be thrown out. On the opposite side of the spectrum, is a small business. The garments here are priced higher so with the same limited amount of money to spend, not as many goods can be purchased. However, the products bought here are made of quality fabrics and pieced together using excellent methods of assemblage, some even being guaranteed to last up to a lifetime. The increased price of these goods causes you to consider the longevity and if there is a need for it, reducing the excessive amount of garments disposed of every year. This makes reduces impulse buying and turns the purchase into more of an investment that will be cherished.

Now let’s reconduct the same shopping trip with the same amount of money to spend, which option would you choose?