Customers buy local amid economic downturn
Business owners say Mount Pleasant customers have remained loyal to locally owned establishments in hard times and, in doing so, have helped to support the city’s economy.
Local businesses were recently provided with flyers and information promoting the 3/50 Project, a national mission headed by retail consultant and professional speaker Cinda Baxter.
The project aims to inform Americans of the advantages of shopping locally and its effects on the economy. Downtown Development Director Michelle Sponseller said many local stores have seen strong sales even in tough economic times.
The flyers have been great for encouraging people to buy local instead of from corporations, said Cathy Smith, owner of the Basketree, 112 E. Broadway St.
“All of downtown passes (the flyers) out and we just talk about it with customers as well,” she said. “It really has made people aware of shopping locally and the effects.”
Smith said her business has been up from last year at this time. She thinks customers are becoming more aware of the positive effects of shopping local.
Local benefit
For every $100 spent in a locally owned business, $68 of it gets returned to the community through taxes, payroll and local spending by the owners, according to the 3/50 Project. If that $100 was spent in a national chain, only $43 of it would come back to the community.
If 50 percent of working citizens in the U.S. spent $50 a month in locally owned stores, it would create around $42.6 billion total each month for the stores.
“It’s not that we wish an end to every Home Depot, Walmart and PetSmart,” Sponseller said. “It’s not an all-or-nothing message. There are some products you can only find at chains. It’s about balance.”
Telah Hartupee, sales floor manager for Ace of Diamonds, 128 E. Broadway St., said she thinks local customers have always stayed loyal through hard times, and does not believe it has been a problem for the city and her business.
“I just think it’s how the downtown people are, and I know employees in the downtown area keep business here,” she said.
Hartupee said some of her customers have found diamonds in Florida or Chicago and called to see if Ace of Diamonds had them before purchasing elsewhere. She has seen, she said, that many customers like to keep supporting an establishment once they find one they like.
In the end, she believes great service is the most important thing to customers, and they will always be loyal to the people who are friendly and take care of their needs.
“Treat them good and they’re going to come back,” Hartupee said.
