By ADRIENNE HARRISON

Bainbridge Communications Director

The City of Bainbridge’s Main Street Office is encouraging residents to “Buy Local” by holding its first “Buy Local Week” beginning on Sunday, Nov. 20, with Holiday Open House.

Buy Local Week is catching on both throughout the state and nation as other communities, big and small are encouraging their residents to spend their money and locally owned businesses. Dit Albritton, Main Street Manager, said that buying local not only benefits local business owners, but the entire community.

Economists forecast that the U.S. consumer base will spend approximately $400 billion during the holiday season. Studies have shown that dollars spent at local, independent businesses re-circulate in the local community up to three times more, making local holiday shopping an important investment for all towns and cities. It helps boost the potential for local business owners to be prosperous and encourages the growth of economic security, rather than sending profits to corporations that own big box stores and out of town chains.

Buying local helps build more prosperous and healthier communities on several fronts. First, it strengthens the local economy because local business owners buy more often from other local businesses. Therefore, the money spent is retained in the community. Secondly, it creates a healthier environment. Buying items made closer to home cuts down on fossil fuel use, reducing the carbon impact. Reduced transportation costs can also mean more affordable goods. Buying local also helps retain local flavor because experiences at local establishments are completely unique, which helps express the local flavor of the area.

Studies support the idea that buying local has significant economic, job and environmental benefits. Money spent at a locally owned business stays in the local economy and continues to strengthen the economic base of the community. Small, local businesses make indispensable contributions to communities and neighborhoods and at a higher rate than out of state corporations. Most job growth comes from local independent businesses. Small businesses, which are more often located in central business districts, have less impact on local ecosystems compared to larger retailers located in strip malls or stand-alone buildings.