Shop local. It's a commonly heard slogan these days, and for some local stores, the message could make all the difference when it comes to surviving the economic impacts of the pandemic.
When you choose to do your shopping at a locally owned store, the benefits go well beyond the owners and employees of that store.
"Oh far beyond that," said Kelowna Downtown Association Executive Director Mark Burley.
"Out of every dollar that's spent in a local business, research shows that 63 cents of that goes right back into the community."
Burley added that shopping at a local outlet of a chain store also benefits the community, but to a lesser extent. "If it's a big chain type store, that number that goes back into the community is 42%."
The pandemic has accelerated a shift toward online shopping, which isn't good news for the local retail sector, but at the same time, there is an increased awareness about the benefits of shopping locally.
Burley hopes that you might consider not just the owners of the stores, but the people who work there.
"They live here," points out Burley, "They buy their food here, they go to restaurants downtown, they shop for clothes at stores all over town."
And as we reach the heights of the Christmas shopping season, he reminds people that supporting your local store has not been forbidden.
"The provincial health order doesn't tell us not to go out shopping. It tells us to wear masks when we're inside. It tells us to wear masks. It tells us to physically distance, it tells us to wash our hands and tells us not to be in groups bigger than six. It doesn't say, don't go to our local store and shop for Christmas."
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