Why should I buy local?

At Ekko Custom Cabinetry & Design, we always stress the importance of supporting local businesses as much as possible, especially in these times. You may ask yourself " Why should I buy local? ". Well, there are a number of reasons to support local and it can affect you and many aspects of your life personally. In this blog I'll try to reflect on as many of these aspects as I can.

Support Your Local Economy

This is the aspect most people think about when thinking "Buy Local". In these uncertain times, when so many local businesses are struggling, we can all do our part to help support our neighbors, friends and loved ones by buying local when we can. I realize it can be much easier to jump on Amazon and just order something, but if you choose to buy local then that money has a better chance of going around your community, thus promoting more spending throughout your community, thus supporting more of your friends and family in return.

Wait Times

Wait times have increased on many products. Production times in our entire industry are delayed right now, due to Covid delays or material shortages, but it is even worse for companies that need to have their products shipped in from other countries. They are having to deal with all the delays that local companies are having but they are also having to deal with cargo quarantines, skyrocketing sea can prices, Economic sanctions, and shut down borders...

Easy Communication

We have all ordered something online, then had it arrive and it's nothing like we thought it was going to be... Then trying to get the issue remedied can be next to impossible... They never return your emails, when you call them you just get put on hold for what seems like an eternity... This is their mentality with customer service... They feel like they will never see their angry customers, so why should they bend over backwards to please them?... While local businesses should appreciate their customers more. They have to consider word of mouth getting around the community. Good word of mouth results in more business. While if you insist on ignoring your customers then they would no longer trust or use that company. They also have to keep in mind that an upset local customer can always just come down to their office and voice their displeasure in person... If you're on the other side of the planet you don't have that as an option. Local businesses in theory should make communication between themselves and customers easier because it benefits their ability to do their jobs properly.

The Environment

Now this is a big topic in todays society, but it is often one that is glossed over when people are purchasing something. Environmental standards of the country you're ordering from, Fuel consumption having the product shipped, the packaging waste that comes with the product... All aspects that are rarely considered. Even when you consider Province to province shipping compared to country to country shipping, the environmental impact can be vastly different. Then you also have to consider the probability of the product getting damaged when it is coming from a further destination, which would mean it would have to possibly be returned and then reshipped back... Not saying that local businesses are unaffected by these issues, but the impact should be lessened.