Saturday, November 29, 2014 "Shop Local – Shop Small"

In 2010, American Express coined the phrase, “Shop Small”, encouraging their cardholders to shop local forgoing the hyper global mega corporations (i.e.; big box stores like Wal-Mart and Target). American Express recognized the value of supporting small businesses and encouraging shoppers to shop local with 23 million people patronizing local stores. Last year alone over 54% of sales made on the Saturday after Black Friday were made in an independently owned shop, helping to create over 2/3 of all jobs in small and midsize towns and cities. American Express created a movement that is far reaching and has taken on a life of its own. Shopping small has benefits whether you own an American Express card or not.

Akwesasne is unlike any other place in the world and by choosing to support locally owned businesses you help maintain our distinctive culture and local diversity. When we shop local, we build strong neighborhoods by sustaining communities, linking neighbors and contributing to local causes. Local ownership means that important economic decisions that affect everyone are made locally by people who live in our community and who will feel the impact of these decisions. And when you shop small, you encourage local business owners to hire local, thus significantly increasing the benefits of shopping small.

Spending one dollar in Akwesasne has three times the impact on our community as dollars spent at national chains. When you shop local, the effect has the potential to simultaneously create jobs and provide better wages than chains do. Entrepreneurship fuels economic innovation and prosperity and serves as a key means for families to move out of low wage jobs and into higher paying jobs and financial security.

With the recently released MCA Leakage study, shopping local should be of highest priority, creating a marketplace of healthy competition and product diversity based on the interests and needs of Akwesasne’s local customer and encourages a much broader and more direct product choice.

In all fairness, many products aren’t available in our local shops, so shop smart, buy unique and long lasting gifts for this season that will be enjoyed for generations and not just for a moment.