I know it's easy and tempting to buy everything this Christmas from a big conglomerate retailer, but I for one will be buying as much as I can locally and from independent retailers where possible. I have to stress that I know it can be slightly more difficult and slightly more expensive, but we can ALL afford to buy at least a few items for a little more money if it means that the item is made by someone of working age (aka not child labour) and if it means that the money you spend will support a local economy and business person. But if you're having trouble finding time to make it out to local shops, try the internet's many options and shop a little further afield (but still independent.) I tend to go in this order:
1. By local and independent.
2. When I can't find it locally, buy via the internet from an independent retailer somewhere else.
3. Buy from a stinky conglomerate. :(
If you don't contribute to independent retailers you'll soon find that you have no choice but to buy your books from Chapters or Amazon at whatever price and selection they choose once all the local bookstores close and there is no longer any competition. You'll have no choice but to buy your kids generic mass produced Disney junk built by someone elses children in sweatshops in Asia (sorry Asia, I wish it weren't so) and the money will go into an Asian economy not yours... of course if you're Asian it's easy to "buy local" ;) but you could still consider buying independent.
There is no need to run around in a Guy Fawkes mask making the independent supporters look foolish to the general public... and trust me when I say this does nothing to help your cause. The hundreds of millions of people who hold all the purchasing power don't want to think about revolutions, but they do want to do what's right where they can. If one wants to change the world, one simply needs to support independent retailers whenever possible in order to "fight the man" without ever setting foot in a protest, because if everyone were to support local independent businesses there would be no "Man" to fight against. There would only be thousands of little retailers that are just people like you and me in our community. Huge corporations could no longer hold sway over the actions of our government, and the so-called 1% would lose their monopoly on the market and the disproportionate wealth they hold could be redistributed more evenly. Imagine... no need to camp out on Wall Street in the snow, and no need to smash windows or start riots. If you don't like the way things are, simply refuse to buy into it, and encourage others to do the same.
Need help getting started? Here's a couple starting points:
If you've already tried your local bookstore and can't find what you're looking for, or if you live in a rural community with no access to a bookstore and you generally rely on sites like Amazon, try www.Abebooks.com for a change. Abebooks connects you with independent retailers of new, used, and rare books all over the world, and the prices are better than anything you'll find on Amazon.
Or, are looking for something for the kids, or for a newborn baby shower, or simply something for yourself that you won't find anywhere else? Why not try www.Etsy.com? Etsy is an e=commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items. These items cover a wide range including art, photography, clothing, jewelry, food, bath and beauty products, quilts, knick-knacks, and hand made toys. So not only are you getting products that are hand-made by an artisan that you won't likely find in your house, and not by some poor child in a sweatshop in India, you even have the option to narrow down your search with the "buy local" tool so that you're investing in your local economy. WIN.
1. By local and independent.
2. When I can't find it locally, buy via the internet from an independent retailer somewhere else.
3. Buy from a stinky conglomerate. :(
If you don't contribute to independent retailers you'll soon find that you have no choice but to buy your books from Chapters or Amazon at whatever price and selection they choose once all the local bookstores close and there is no longer any competition. You'll have no choice but to buy your kids generic mass produced Disney junk built by someone elses children in sweatshops in Asia (sorry Asia, I wish it weren't so) and the money will go into an Asian economy not yours... of course if you're Asian it's easy to "buy local" ;) but you could still consider buying independent.
There is no need to run around in a Guy Fawkes mask making the independent supporters look foolish to the general public... and trust me when I say this does nothing to help your cause. The hundreds of millions of people who hold all the purchasing power don't want to think about revolutions, but they do want to do what's right where they can. If one wants to change the world, one simply needs to support independent retailers whenever possible in order to "fight the man" without ever setting foot in a protest, because if everyone were to support local independent businesses there would be no "Man" to fight against. There would only be thousands of little retailers that are just people like you and me in our community. Huge corporations could no longer hold sway over the actions of our government, and the so-called 1% would lose their monopoly on the market and the disproportionate wealth they hold could be redistributed more evenly. Imagine... no need to camp out on Wall Street in the snow, and no need to smash windows or start riots. If you don't like the way things are, simply refuse to buy into it, and encourage others to do the same.
Need help getting started? Here's a couple starting points:
If you've already tried your local bookstore and can't find what you're looking for, or if you live in a rural community with no access to a bookstore and you generally rely on sites like Amazon, try www.Abebooks.com for a change. Abebooks connects you with independent retailers of new, used, and rare books all over the world, and the prices are better than anything you'll find on Amazon.
Or, are looking for something for the kids, or for a newborn baby shower, or simply something for yourself that you won't find anywhere else? Why not try www.Etsy.com? Etsy is an e=commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items. These items cover a wide range including art, photography, clothing, jewelry, food, bath and beauty products, quilts, knick-knacks, and hand made toys. So not only are you getting products that are hand-made by an artisan that you won't likely find in your house, and not by some poor child in a sweatshop in India, you even have the option to narrow down your search with the "buy local" tool so that you're investing in your local economy. WIN.