With the fast-approaching holiday season, many people are preparing their presents, adding to their festive calendars and searching for good eats around the city—all perfect activities for shopping at local businesses. There has been a recent trend of shopping local and it is no surprise why: shopping and eating local not only promises unique finds and healthier food, but also gives us a chance to flourish our communities.  

People typically open up their own small business because they are passionate about a particular cuisine, fashion style or product and want to transform it to fit their vision and share it with others. These businesses vastly promote entrepreneurship and open up millions of job opportunities throughout the country for people with the same devotion to the items up for sale. There are over 964,000 local businesses in N.C. alone employing thousands of workers, all eager to help whoever walks through their doors. Shopping with these businesses guarantees a chance to form new connections and friendships as the owners and staff take the time to understand a customer’s preferences and offer personalized suggestions: something seemingly rare in big-box retail stores.

Local businesses are known for playing a notable role in supporting their community’s causes and charities. These shops donate 250 percent more than large businesses to local charities and nonprofits, in turn establishing a positive cycle of helping others. Small businesses heavily benefit from a strong, united community, so the owners and staff tend to be more engaged members of the community themselves, helping them to meet more people and shine light on their shop. Raleigh’s locally owned businesses such as A Place At The Table and Frabjous Catfé are excellent examples of how local stores are working together to make a difference in society by helping not only humans, but our furry friends as well. A Place At The Table is a pay-what-you-can cafe helping to fight homelessness, while Frabjous Catfé is a shop where people can enjoy delicious desserts and coffee while playing with cats who are looking for their forever homes. 

Another plus point of local businesses is how they promise unique finds that provide a sense of character to their own stores whether it be an art and decor shop, a corner bookstore or the family-owned restaurant with secret recipes passed down through generations. These are items that have a story behind them and cannot be found in large retail chains, which makes them more special and perfect for that present you are looking for. The products and dishes found in local shops infuse our cities with diversity and give space for owners to channel their creativity and passion.

With all the fast-food chains surrounding us, locally owned restaurants distinctly stand out as the significantly more healthy alternative. The food in these restaurants tastes more fresh and contains more nutrients as less packaging is used. Smaller volumes of ingredients are bought, causing them to stay fresher longer compared to the processed bulk ingredients bought for large chain restaurants; with this, consumers are much less likely to have that bloated feeling after eating out. Local restaurants play a crucial role in helping to protect local food systems as a majority of their food is bought from farmers markets. A local food shop, Juicekeys, is an example of how fresh ingredients are used to provide customers with healthy smoothies, immunity drinks and high-protein foods. As a frequent customer of small businesses, I have observed the extra care and involvement present in order preparation and customer interactions. 

While it might be tempting and convenient to purchase most of your products from that large business, it’s important to still support the local ones near you as their survival depends on the choices we make. These businesses are truly the backbone to bringing people together in our communities for a good cause.