6 reasons to shop small, local and in Australia

• Local employment
• Money remains in the Australian economy
• Shopping centres remain open and vibrant 
• Passionate/knowledgeable small business owners
• Competition for the big guys
• Product variety

At the risk of stating the very obvious, local businesses provide local employment. The number of people a local business supports goes far beyond store employees. It extends to their wholesale suppliers, packaging manufacturers, technical support & maintenance providers just to name a few.

Local businesses support our economy by paying tax here in Australia and collecting GST. Their employees pay tax and they receive compulsory superannuation to go towards their retirement. In contrast, when we buy from overseas companies, the money leaves our economy entirely.

We have all seen empty shops. Strips of poorly maintained, local shops become untidy and the services that used to be close by no longer exist. Without anchor businesses that draw customers to a centre, the surrounding businesses also suffer. Imagine if all the businesses around your favourite coffee shop closed, do you think the coffee shop would survive?

The passion and expertise of local & small business owners shouldn’t be underestimated, they are the ones that will tell you how to use an item or offer recommendations based on their unique experience and knowledge. With a different business model from the big guys, where profit and sales volume are the overriding values, small local businesses will often stock items that big business are not interested in stocking. Small businesses offer alternatives, variety and provide competition. There is no point in complaining about the duopoly if you haven’t supported their competition. Small business pricing is often way more competitive than you expect, due to the relationships that they have developed with their suppliers.

Shopping locally is a no brainer when it comes to supporting our economy. Whether you are shopping on line or in store, don’t overlook the benefits of dealing with an Australian business. Whilst it is true that the items may still be made overseas, spending your money locally helps keep it circulating within our economy, rather than sending it offshore for good.

How to tell if a business is located in Australia

Check their contact details – is it an Australian phone number or address?

Check their shipping details – things like what shipping company they use and shipping times are some of the biggest clues to their location. 

Just because a business has a .au website or has the word Australia in their name doesn’t mean they are located here!

If you need a costume and are lucky enough to live near Carlingford, Sydney we would love to see you in store at Acting the Part. 

For those of you who need costumes but can’t get to our store, Smiffy’s Australia are an online costume business located here. If you would like a recommendation for a local physical store near you we may be able to recommend someone. 

Take a look around your local community, you may be surprised at what is on offer. Let’s normalise shopping local before shopping overseas.