Why should we support small businesses?
Posted by Gagan_Lazar@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 28 comments
I’ve seen so many people open shops in the past few years and its the same candy or food or sweet treats shops even though theres already 5 others on the same street. Then they advertise as struggling small businesses and people like my friends go and buy from there to support them. But what’s the point no one said to open a shop that already exists opposite yours and costs way more than the supermarkets. I’d much prefer going to a small shop than a supermarket and I do for things like bread. I didn’t realise how much people consume in this country till I realised most peoples enjoyment is from their food their car and their Netflix.
Maybe this is only happening in my area and I’m biased but the only small businesses I’d go out of my way for are ones with new ideas such as a wellness shop that opened near me which sells things that are hard to get otherwise
heroics-delta8s@reddit
Think more about where the margins are getting sucked out of local small businesses (the sweet shops are either fronts for organised crimes, or misguided people who have taken on some silly franchise and think it’s going to be any). If you are talking about food, order your food direct, don’t use a third party website to get your Chinese food or pizza delivered. The delivery companies spend a fortune on google buying up the keywords of all the local businesses that cook food and end up at the top of web searches. They suck the margins right out of the industry.
Ok_Chipmunk_7066@reddit
In a simplified way a small independent business, the custom you give them pays somebody to give their kids a a new toy or a piano lesson. The money stays locally and improves the area around you.
Using a multi national means you're paying for bubbly at the Shareholders meeting and pence on the pound makes it back to your local neighbourhood.
No-Row-9994@reddit
This is the best description I've seen for it.
Ok_Chipmunk_7066@reddit
I read a much better version of this about 15 years ago, and I've very much badly paraphrased. But thank you
Gagan_Lazar@reddit (OP)
This is true. Unfortunately the sense of community has been eradicated and most people don’t care. Most people don’t even talk to their neighbours. I live in a multicultural area and it was largely asians and jamaicans and my grandparents used to say the doors were open and even when they couldn’t communicate it was all love. Now their descendants form their own groups and support businesses of their own people only, for the most part
trippykitsy@reddit
are you actually referring to small businesses and not the vape shops that run drug operations?
Gagan_Lazar@reddit (OP)
bit of both. might be near me but there’s a lot of people opening ordinary businesses like deserts or fast food then just repeat the struggling small business narrative on their socials
split-tennisball@reddit
I've found the desert businesses near me have all dried up.
Active_Definition_57@reddit
I read this on a train just as it left Sandy Station (Bedfordshire, England).
Timely_Egg_6827@reddit
Local butchers generally are better on freshness and choice of cuts. They'll order in rabbit or offal for you. Local fishmongers often have deals to get supplied direct from fishermen or fresh in that day. Grocers usually fresher and can often be cheaper as they get perfectly good grade B "ugly" fruit and veg. An apple with a bloom can taste nicer than a perfect one fit for Snow White.
I use an independent garage and have the same one for 20 years. I drive an older car and he'll fit parts I source - main dealers can't do that. He also came round my house to do an assessment in-drive as to whether it was drivable to shop as judddery as struggling to get tow truck. He also dropped my non-driving partner and car off at home after he paid as I was stuck in London.
So you shop local for flexability and greater choice. And even that sweet and drink shop is good if it is 3am and you realise you need something on way home. Most stock essentials like pet food, cleaners, toilitries - expensive and often weird brands but ours has been a life saver a few times. Their stock tends to be a lot more eccentric and ecletic than the supermakets as they buy discounted weird stuff. Once a month, I blow £10 on drinks and sweets I've never heard of before - usually Indian or from Caribbean.
Gagan_Lazar@reddit (OP)
Yh I should’ve phrased my post better as I also do this, especially the butchers and car garage. Though those independent sweet and drink shops don’t ever rely on the small business stuff I was saying as most, at least around me, are using it as a front
Timely_Egg_6827@reddit
There are a few shops I do wonder about like the mobile repair shops but think a lot of their custom is online or scheduled repairs. They were handy when I needed a computer mouse in a hurry.
The off-licences - sweet and drink - make most of their money in evenings. Live near a fairly busy shopping street and it is a circuit between bookies, off-licence and take-aways. If go in in evenings, it is mainly selling scratchcards, cheap alcohol and ciggarettes plus they do the paypoint for pay as you go utilities and parcel delivery now too. A heavy smoker topping up his or her booze can spend a lot.
The american sweet shops I don't have a clue on.
Duke_Tristan@reddit
On a macro scale we've witnessed the results of not supporting local businesses over the last 20 years: empty high streets, boarded up shops, town centres full of nothing but charity shops and fronts for money laundering. Big business doesn't care about your local town or the people in it, it just cares about shareholders.
Buying from a corporation means that a % of your spend goes straight to the top at the expense of people working on minimum wage in often terrible conditions (I'm looking at your Amazon). When you buy from local businesses / tradespeople you are helping the people in your area earn a liveable wage, a wage which they will then reinject into their local area.
OkPea5819@reddit
They provide something with more character than generic chains.
They will respond to local people feedback about what they'd like to see for sale, order you special items in etc.
Quality is often higher, yes generally at more cost.
It keeps money within the local economy rather than to some private equity firm.
I don't think you can compare the shopping experience of going to the local market, deli, fishmonger, butcher and bakery vs Tesco.
I couldn't live somewhere where the high street was Greggs, Costa, Boots....
Gagan_Lazar@reddit (OP)
This is true for shops like butchers and others which I also agree with and shop at
Postik123@reddit
For me, supporting a small business means:
- Using a local plumbing guy or business to service my boiler instead of British Gas.
- Buying fresh meat from a small butchers instead of the supermarket.
- Using a local pharmacy instead of Boots.
- Using a local mechanic instead of a main dealer.
However I won't go out of my way to use a small business if their service is poor, they don't offer what I want or the price is prohibitively high compared to a larger business.
Gagan_Lazar@reddit (OP)
I should’ve phrased my post better as this is what I do too
split-tennisball@reddit
Sounds like you know the answer to your question
Mammoth-Passion-413@reddit
I agree I am lucky to live in a Market town so have plentyt of Butchers to choose from.
paulsmastermind@reddit
Same way if you had a shop in your local area you'd want your peoples to buy from you rather from the big corporations?
Gagan_Lazar@reddit (OP)
Yes but that’s like if you had a butchers you should shop there rather than going to a supermarket. But when its 5 of the same shops going on about being a small business its more their fault for starting it and not providing anything unique or something that was wanted by the community
Few_Food_3705@reddit
Support a small business and you’re supporting a local person who spends more money locally and can increase local business overall. Plus your money is more likely to go towards their kids homes rather than a company ceo buying an extra holiday home. I know there’s more benefits than this but it’s been a while since I had it explained to me, these points stood out to me.
Gagan_Lazar@reddit (OP)
This is true, but you have to also provide something and can’t rely on sympathy of the community
Mammoth-Passion-413@reddit
I have a 24K Creation credit account. I can use it in several places but unless I can't get it on the high street or online from anywhere else, only then do I turn to Amazon
if I can avoid Amazon I will
2000andmark@reddit
Competing with supermarkets on price is usually a losing game anyway
Mammoth-Passion-413@reddit
Most local butchers will compete for example. I can get 4 joints of meat for £21 from the local Meat Mart - Massive too we are talking 1.5KG joints and you get Beef, Gammon, Pork and Chicken for that.
They are right opposite a Morrisons too .
Gagan_Lazar@reddit (OP)
Yes this is true, I always buy meat from a butcher because of it. It’s usually higher quality too. I had a few words with him and the main reasons for him losing money was people going to supermarkets and some knob opening a butcher next to him. Now they both struggle, whereas he actually might’ve been able to price his products lower than the supermarkets
Plane-Physics2653@reddit
I support high street shops (whether local or chain) rather than stand-alone supermarkets or retail parks. Sure I could do better but want to support the high street as a public space at least.