Ho-ho-hold off on the Christmas shopping trip to a city mall until you check and see what local merchants have in stock.
The fact is, the big box stores at the mall did OK during the pandemic. They stayed open while our local shops were locked down. In all honesty, the prospect of entering a closed space, however large, with hundreds of strangers and no way of knowing their COVID status, was much more disturbing to a lot of us than visiting a local shop where we knew everyone inside – often just the proprietor and another shopper – even if one of them did wear their mask wrong. The province’s decision about who stayed open and who had to close did not sit well with us.
That said, it happened. While some shops and services managed to “pivot” (a pandemic word meaning innovate and scramble to salvage what you could) and stay afloat, the local business community is still scrambling. Doors have closed, and more will follow before the local economy stabilizes.
Since the pandemic, our retailers have struggled to find and keep staff. The reasons are still pretty much a mystery. What we do know is a lot of people working minimum-wage jobs seemed to disappear from the local economy during the pandemic. Some went back home, wherever “home” was, and have either returned to school or got training for a better-paying job. Some retired and are now collecting pensions. And some have given up trying to survive on part-time minimum wage work in an area where a “living wage” is full-time employment paying over $20 an hour. It all adds up to a lot of “help wanted” signs. Restaurants that used to be open 24/7 – we all know which ones – are barely able to cover day and early evening shifts.
Then there is the rising cost of transportation. Every item in our stores requires fuel to be used at some point – even local produce. Car parts, materials to repair machinery, construction items, electronics – everything costs more. Our local businesses strive to keep their prices in line, but there are so many upward pressures on costs that they have had to raise prices.
The point is, everything costs more at the city mall, too. And we pay a lot more than we used to, to make the trip there.
We can save ourselves the time, effort and frustration, not to mention gas money, by shopping close to home, and investing in our local business community.
The businesses we support are the same ones that sell lottery tickets for our service clubs and contribute to many community projects. The local business community includes people who coach minor sports teams, teach Sunday school, volunteer for the Cancer Society, fundraise for the hospital foundation, and serve on volunteer committees. It includes or employs everyone from volunteer firefighters to actors in local theatre productions.
When we support local businesses, we are also supporting the service clubs and volunteer organizations that make this community a wonderful place in which to live, work and play.
Make no mistake, though, shopping locally has benefits besides community support. A small shop can carry unique products that a big box store would never touch.
This community is fortunate in having a wealth of lively, interesting shops that attract summer visitors; it is time for us to discover – or rediscover – what those shops have to offer.
We might also consider treating the people on our list to gift certificates for local services, lessons or memberships – a special gift for someone to enjoy all year long.
This is the first post-pandemic Christmas season, and it will make or break a good many of our favourite local shops. By supporting them, we are investing in a strong, vibrant community. And that is a win-win on so many levels.
The shops win, the people on our gift list win, and we win, too. Anyone who has not seen what local stores have to offer needs to treat themselves to a trip downtown, and maybe lunch in one of our great restaurants.
