November 27, 2008

editorial

Take the Shop Local pledge

It’s a nerve-wracking time for many Americans, as stocks plunge, jobless rates rise, banks collapse and auto companies teeter on the edge of solvency. Many of us feel powerless as huge forces seemingly out of our control play havoc with our national economy. But we’re not powerless. We can do something to strengthen our community. We can shop local.

Each year this page advocates shopping local for the holiday season. It’s obvious that shopping local boosts Yellow Springs retail businesses, many of which depend on the holiday season to get through the year. Strong retail businesses create a vital downtown, which further contributes to our economic strength by attracting out-of-town shoppers. And a lively downtown also strengthens our village by providing a center, a place we come to meet, to talk, to play.

In this time of economic turmoil, shopping local matters more than ever. While we don’t have statistics, it’s safe to assume that local shops are feeling the downturn. And beyond the obvious reasons to shop local, there are less obvious ones. Shopping in Yellow Springs boosts the economy far beyond the specific dollars we spend. A local store owner is likely to use a local accountant to balance the books, pay a local contractor to fix the door; and buy his groceries at Tom’s. Economists call this the multiplier effect: you can multiply what you spend locally by three to find its overall effect on the Yellow Springs economy.

This year the News follows the lead of other forward-thinking towns, such as Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Mich., and challenges villages to take a Shop Local pledge for the holiday season. Villagers can pledge to do all their shopping in town, or to do most (80 percent) or to do as much as they can. Just e-mail us at ysnews@ysnews.com and indicate your level of pledge. In mid-December, we’ll publish the names of those who took the challenge.

Here’s the best reason to shop Yellow Springs: it feels great. We can meet up with friends or make new ones as we find unique presents. Most of all, in these turbulent times, we can use our precious dollars to give the gift that keeps giving to our community.

—Diane Chiddister