What Does It Mean to "Shop Local," and What is Community?

We often see media of whatever kind urging us to "shop local." Of course, we do want to support our neighbors in their business ventures--but what does it actually entail? What does it mean for something, whether a vegetable, yarn, or book, to be "local"?

Per Empire Creative, the Shop Local Movement is "the act of everyday consumers, like you, making the decision to buy your produce, clothing and day to day items from a local business instead of going to a large retailer" (Source). People will participate in this movement for many reasons. Among them, a few stand out: supporting the local economy, gaining familiarity with those you buy from, and a sense of community and belonging. Shopping local is an important way to prevent corporate takeover of businesses that have been, and will be, established within our communities. As such, it is often something very heavily encouraged, often to the extent of full-on boycotts of large corporations like Amazon or Walmart. 

 

Personally, I think shopping locally is a luxury not many people can afford-for many different reasons. The costs of doing so are numerous and often exist in ways we don't think of. There's the obvious financial ones, but beyond that, there's time, effort, and, for many of us, other limitations that prevent us from doing so. This is especially the case when it's a truly small local business, so much so that services like delivery or shipping aren't available. For many, delivery is seen to be as much of a luxury as stopping at a local store. For me, and so many others, it's not. My hEDS and other disabilities are my limiting factor. For others, it can be a myriad of things: kids, inflexible work hours, and so, so much more. 

That being said, shopping "local" doesn't have to mean physically. Supporting your physical community is a great thing to do, especially when it comes to economic issues like local sales taxes or maintaining local markets. However, it's not always accessible, and there's many other ways to make sure you're supporting real individuals. Online, despite what many think, there are expansive communities for everything. The difference between ten minutes and ten hours away can become nothing more than an extra day of shipping. It turns out those people on the other end of a screen are real, too! Another benefit of this type of community is the potential to meet and transact with people who do all kinds of different work. Even if you aren't in a financial position to outright buy goods, you can still participate! I have traded my fiber works for a mini dragon's hoard of trinkets and gifts for every holiday season (since, apparently, there is such a thing as too many crochet plushies).

 

Unfortunately, the process of finding your community can be intimidating. It's completely understandable, but I can promise you: it's worth it. I've been thinking about this for a while and here are some of my top tips for finding an online community (for whatever you're passionate about):

• Facebook
• Tried and true, this platform is still a great way to connect with others about things you care about. Notably, the Groups features are nice, and Marketplace can be a good way to get supplies affordably.
• Yarn Barn of Kansas or The Woolery
• Fiber art specific--these are great resources to find supplies, but also guides for the craft, and most importantly, a community of people with the same passion as you. 
• Do a Quick Google Search!
• Seriously! It's surprising how sometimes events or establishments for even the most niche of hobbies can pop up. Chances are, one of the things you love will have at least some presence in your community--or one nearby.
  

 

The Internet has the potential to do amazing things, and this is one of them. Take advantage of it! Find your people, trade some trinkets, and have fun!