SHOPPING LOCAL DOES MORE THAN SUPPORT A SMALL BUSINESS

by Racquel Foran

The topic of shopping local has been on my mind a lot lately. So much so, that I felt compelled to share my thoughts with our customers and followers.

As a new, small, local business, we rely on Locals to shop in our store. Without our local customer base, we would not be able to stay in business. And to those of you have become regulars we are so appreciative of your business and support.

Unfortunately, despite not having been in business for a year, we are already starting to lose sales to online sellers. This is more than a little concerning.

For those that have given us feedback, they have told us they are choosing the online resellers because they offer Free delivery. In other words, someone living in Burnaby or North Vancouver, would rather have their non-alcoholic beverages shipped from Ontario, than take the time to visit our store and shop in person. We have been told many times that although they “love our shop,” and “want to support local,” time and convenience trump these sentiments. We have also been asked why we don’t offer free delivery.

We do not offer free delivery because we simply cannot afford to. The cost of delivery for a single item is usually more than our markup on that item. And we do not know how others are able to offer free delivery and stay in business.

What is often overlooked when people are seeking the cheapest and most convenient options are all the things that local businesses contribute to their local communities and the province.

When choosing to order from out-of-province online resellers, you are not helping the BC economy. Out-of-province resellers do not:

• Pay BC provincial taxes.

• Pay local property tax.

• Employ local people.

• Open their business to local community groups for meetings and events.

• Contribute to local charity events.

• Donate their empty bottles to local sports teams and clubs.

And although those on-line resellers are generous in offering consumers free shipping, most do not offer this to their wholesale customers. In other words, they ship to you for free, but not to me. This explains why our prices are sometimes higher than the on-line resellers.

Shopping local almost always means paying more. Next time you are tempted to order your non-alcoholic beverages through one of the large out-of-province on-line resellers, remember the small extra amount you pay by shopping local is going back to the community and province you live in. We small business owners appreciate your support. And we try hard to return to the favour of your business with outstanding customer service when you visit our stores.