Be Vocal, Shop Local
My favorite store in the entire universe, Pastiche, closed its doors in late January. This place was the place to go for the best gifts, locally-made soaps, furniture, conversation, and inspiration. Right before it closed, there was a sign in the front window telling passer-by's to "be vocal—shop local!" I couldn't agree more.
If there's one thing you can do during our current financial mess, I would say it would be to put your money in the local economy. It's time for Springfieldians to start thinking outside the Big Box. I love Target as much as the next person, but I also loved my neighbors at Pastiche, and would hate to see more of that happen in town.
Now, I haven't done much in-depth research, but common sense would tell me that if we spent money locally, it would come back to us in greater amounts. I think I saw a slogan in Lebanon that's just as clever as the Be Vocal Shop Local phrase—it's "Shopping Local Makes Cents." My husband Dan and I run an independent theater downtown. Right now we're in our busy season, and have a little extra spending money in our account. After putting in 45 hours one weekend, we decided to take a night off and have a date (ugh, I know. We spend 45 hours together working and still want to go on a date? We're crazy!).
We wanted to splurge, so we ate at a downtown eatery that specializes in steak. It was definitely a splurge! But, two very expensive meals add up, and help make that restaurant's bank account that much heftier. The theory is, they'll have a little bit extra to help pay the bills, and have a nice night off. They schedule extra staffing, which means a college student gets $20 extra dollars one day. They go to a local bar, drink a few locally-brewed beers. Our local brewery might see an increase in inventory, needs to hire more people for their distributing. Etc. etc.
Obviously this is just a hypothetical theory, but it's a start. And the key is, we need to focus on locally owned and operated businesses. If we spent that money at a national chain, the business owner spends money in his or her community—which is most likely not Springfield.
I'm just pleading because I'm desperate. If my other favorite stores in the entire universe (Well Fed Head, Good Girl Art, Mama Jeans) were to disappear, I honestly don't know what I would do! After Pastiche's closure, I've vowed to stick to their request: be vocal and shop local!
Nicole Chilton, blog contributor
Nicole Chilton and her husband, Dan, own Moxie Cinema in Wilhoit Plaza. Nicole is also a past president of the Downtown Springfield Association.
Reader Comments:
Great post Nicole.
The encouraging thing is that we saw lots of people over the holiday period doing exactly what you ask - choosing downtown as their shopping destination.
Why? Partly as a way of supporting local business but also because there truly is a retail diversity downtown that is unmatched anywhere else in Springfield PLUS shoppers get to meet/talk with the owners of the businesses...the people that had the passion and drive to switch on that 'Open' sign.
Well said! Now is the best time to reinvest in our local communities. Not only do local businesses offer great products, but they also endow our purchases with a sense of purpose and connectedness. It's more meaningful to conduct business with your neighbor than with an over-produced brand image.
In addition to the great points made here, a couple other reasons to shop locally is because 1. local business owners and their employees are much more likely to know the products and can assist you with any questions you might have and 2. the merchandise is often of much higher quality and more unique.
The bottom line is would you rather Walmart define your community or small, local businesses that bring culture, distinction, and life to a place? Without places like the Moxie, Gailey's, and Good Girl Art Gallery, Springfield would be just as generic as it's name. Let's learn a lesson from Pastiche's closing and actively support the local places we love.
I understand how difficult it is to say good-by to a favorite store, but this is really a matter of economics. Niche stores are great, but they don't provide the broad range of goods that most people need or can afford. The stores downtown are cute, quaint, charming, eclectic, and a host of other adjectives. Add to that list of descriptors, the word "expensive", and frankly, unaffordable to most Springfieldians. For example, how many people in Springfield are willing to shell out $150 for a whimsical pillow? Okay, if you want to argue with that selection, choose any other decorative, non-essential item that many of these stores offer. Is it that difficult to understand how people would opt to fill up a grocery cart of food for their family versus buying such an item? I haven't quite figured out who the "target" market is for most downtown businesses.......certainly not college students, as they do not have the disposable income needed to support most of these stores. And certainly not the demographic my husband and I fall into (both professionals....late fifties), who technically have money to spend. We don't spend it downtown, except to support our theatre. The stores downtown do not cater to our demographic. And, they do not cater to the population with the most disposable income; those in the 60+ age group (although some of that disposable income may now have vanished). Practicality and price will always win out over non-essential goods in tough economic times. Maybe it's time for downtown to become less ego-centric, and rather than assigning the loss of business and businesses as the community's failure to support them, perhaps they should ask themselves whether or not they are providing the community with what they want and need?