 We
don't shop much. We're empty-nesters, so there's no one outgrowing or
wearing out stuff to buy for. We know what we like to eat, so we
grocery shop once a month. When we buy gifts, we buy, as a matter of
principle, only Canadian-made, and when possible even locally-made
products. Books and CDs, our two main categories of purchases, are
almost all printed and made in Canada.
So on those occasions when we do go shopping, say for a sweater for
someone or high-efficiency light bulbs or other repair and replacement
parts, we're particularly aware of the paucity of Canadian-made
products, the horrendous quality of all the Chinese junk that fills
most stores, and the excessive and wasteful packaging that is needed
for this shoddy merchandise to make the overseas trek without breaking
and to attract the attention of impulse buyers. We always make a point
of commenting to store-owners our dissatisfaction with this sorry
state, and they shrug sheepishly and say "that's what sells".
I'd like to prove them wrong. I know for a fact that the local farmers'
markets in the summer do excellent business and provide, for the most
part, good value. I know a lot of people who are outraged that Roots,
the clothing store that covers itself and its products in the Canadian
flag, sells almost nothing made in Canada.
So suppose
there was a department store in your local shopping mall that sold only
locally-made products: Groceries, clothing, shoes, hardware,
housewares, appliances, plants and other seasonal goods, gifts,
automotive supplies, the whole nine yards. Suppose that it offered a
range of products as comprehensive as Wal-Mart or Sears. And suppose
that, on average, its merchandise cost 30% more than Wal-Mart's. Would you shop there? And if it had an online presence would you give it your e-business as well?
The pros and cons, I think, are pretty obvious. Keeping jobs in the
community and the country, rewarding companies that don't offshore.
Getting, usually, better quality goods that last longer (and so are
actually a bargain in the long run). Having recourse to the
manufacturer directly in cases where there is a quality problem. Saving
the environment (less energy used in shipping raw materials overseas
and shipping finished goods back, less packaging, less junk thrown in
the landfill a year after you bought it).
But I'm not sure the majority of buyers, or even a large enough
minority of buyers, would see these advantages as being enough to
warrant paying more and buying less. Several of our local malls used to
have handicraft co-ops in them, where you could buy locally
hand-crafted products and artwork from about 50 different artisans, but
they closed because they didn't do enough business to pay the rent. Was
this because they didn't sell staple goods, only giftware? Or because
they were gouged as non-anchor tenants in an expensive mall? Or because
people just aren't willing to pay more for locally-made products?
Are there examples where 'buy local' stores have been great successes,
or spectacular failures? Is it important that the goods be made in or
near your community, or is made in [your country] good enough? Would
people shopping in such stores be looking for other attributes of
responsibility as well (company making the goods is 100% locally or
domestically owned; goods are union-made or otherwise certified
worker-friendly; goods are organic or EnerStar or otherwise certified
environment-friendly)? Would it attract more people if, in product
categories evaluated by Consumer Reports, it stocked only products
rated good-to-excellent by other consumers? What other attributes of
such a store would attract you, or at least address some of the issues
you were skeptical about?
I've already confessed I'm not your typical shopper, and I'll also
confess that I don't understand consumer buying habits or why anyone in
their right mind would start a retail business in today's cutthroat
anti-entrepreneurial environment. But it seems to me there's an
opportunity here, an opportunity to tell the corporatists and their
hapless suppliers that consumers care about quality, the local economy, decent job opportunities and working conditions, and a clean environment. Yes?
In the meantime, here's a reminder, at this busy shopping season, of the Pledge to Buy Local:
- Never buy anything imported if there's an affordable
locally-made alternative.
- When you're shopping for gifts, buy only domestically-made
goods, especially local, quality, hand-crafted goods. Or give gift
certificates to local restaurants (owned and managed by local people)
or other local services.
- Find out which businesses in your community have won awards
for being excellent employers, or recognized as especially socially or
environmentally conscious. Send them a note of congratulations, and go
out of your way to give them your business.
- If you can't find a reasonable locally-made alternative:
- complain to the store, especially if you know that a
locally-made alternative is available but not carried by the store,
- try to put off buying the imported item if it's
non-essential -- a huge proportion of imported products we buy are
'impulse' purchases -- stuff so cheap we buy it because we can't resist
the deal -- stuff we don't really need and which usually doesn't last
and ends up in the landfill,
- identify and call local companies that might be able to
produce the item locally -- or consider starting a business to produce
it yourself!
- If you can't tell where something is made, assume it's
imported. Beware of misleading 'assembled in..' and 'printed in...'
labels that make imported goods that are repackaged domestically look
like domestic goods.
- Boycott stores that sell mostly imported goods. Let them
know that they are costing local people jobs. If they say the local
goods are too expensive, remind them that you get what you pay for --
in more ways than one.
- Find out whether the major companies in your community have
outsourced or exported jobs to other countries. If they have, complain
to them, to the local newspaper, and to the Chamber of Commerce.
- Tell your local politicians you want tax laws and
regulations changed to reward local employment and penalize the export
of local jobs to other countries. If they support so-called 'free'
trade agreements, work to defeat them -- these agreements escalate job
dislocation.
- Talk to the purchasing department where you work and
encourage them to Pledge to Buy Local
too.
- And while you're reading the labels to see where stuff was
made, you can help the world at the same time by buying cruelty-free
products (no animal testing) and fair-trade
products.
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MADE IN CANADA
trust your
instincts 
