Do we have a duty to support "local businesses"? - "Think of the Starbucks"

[Freshly Baked Socks]

No. Some blacklady tried this (y'all locals bedda support muh bidness) while simultaneously being a wokescold.
It was so delicious watching her customers evaporate because she assumed all white people are self-loathing.
Only downside is this part of town is now lacking one boutique waffle shop.

I feel zero obligation to do business in the neighborhoods where corporations have traditionally kept their caged wagies, and I am looking forward to the restructuring or downsizing of these urban blights.

 

[XYZpdq]

yeah I won't go out of my way, but it turns out local delta 8ish shit fake weed joint gets its shit from a local group and it's a good price compared to other places so I stick with them over other places most of the time

 

[Torque Wheeler]

The best way to fight globalism is to buy local. Once big business gets its grip on your community there's absolutely no turning back.

I refuse to order anything off the internet unless it's the only way I can get that thing. Talking to local shop owners is a good way to be less of a sperg and you might learn something. You'll know within seconds sometimes if a shop isn't worth it

 

[Freshly Baked Socks]

Talking to local shop owners is a good way to be less of a sperg and you might learn something. You'll know within seconds sometimes if a shop isn't worth it

I basically do this, to learn who not to shop with locally.

When entering a new local business I give them a litmus test for political orientation. If I detect an overt liberal tone (often easily noticed with fliers in the window for baby-faggot storytime at the public library, or BLM iconography) - I instantly know whether I will ever spend a penny in that store - OR spend every dollar on Amazon to avoid that shop.

 

[Santa Fe Swag]

In general allot of the smaller businesses in my area are run by good hardworking families who are always very polite. That being said if i go into a small business and encounter any rudeness from staff i walk out. They can go fuck themselves.

 

[NoReturn]

If the local business is good, if I can, sure. If not, I'll go somewhere else.

This for sure. That said, if you're near the "source", things tend to be cheaper and higher quality, so it's win-win.
E.g. Buying plants from nurseries in the country cuts out the middleman and gets you better plants.

 

[DiscoRodeo]

I don't see many arguments as opposed to preferences or personal statements so far,

but a big one is that local businesses tend to be more accountable to their local communities.

This may mean that they aren't going to necessarily shit where they eat, maybe they will source more things locally and not need cross country supply chains, and hopefully they will hire locally as well. When I think of mom and pop shops that have been in a place for decades, this is what I think of. If I have a complaint, the manager may be the owner, or the owner may be in regularly and I can have a talk with them. If there is something really important to the community that they live in, hopefully theyll have the same interest as me in preserving it. Because their HQ is not located thousands of miles away, they are typically more integrated into the community, and you can put a face to the person who runs the business themselves, instead of just a vague HR hierarchy. They can also respond to changing business needs in a more direct way, aren't necessarily held up by red tape in decision making, etc

Should you always help local businesses?

No. For example, in the city I spent the majority of my life in, before the pandemic we had a spade of gentrification where tons of hipster restaurants, coffee pubs, whiskey pubs, and other gastros appeared in a short period of a few years. I never liked these places, always found the things there to be over priced, and they basically did nothing to really give back to the community other than stereotypical liberal poetry reading nights (whereas several other older businesses I knew of helped with football leagues, hockey tournaments, town halls for schooling events, etc).

When covid came around, some of the hipster businesses, which were local businesses, closed down. When BLM came around, they championed them, even while they were tearing apart the other, less affluent, side of town.

Do I give a shit about these local hipster businesses? No. Do businesses have to give back to the community in a charitable way to be valuable? No. The important thing is really that they are run by nice enough people, offer a decent service, and them being there makes the community a better place because of said services they provide (and no, more avocado toast is not a service that makes your community that much better).

There's definite plus sides to helping local businesses, but in a nutshell, rub the hand that rubs your own back, and if you have good local businesses, definitely do not let them get eaten up by larger chains, or yuppie cafes, if times ever do get hard. You will regret it later, if you do so.

 

[mario if smoke weed]

If a local business is good, try to support it. If they all go out of business, they'll be replaced by big corporate chain places that don't give a shit about you or your community and will ruin everything.

 

[MarcellaM]

I think it's not obligatory to support local businesses. You can do what ever you want.
For example, when I go out somewhere, or buy something hand made online, I do it not because I feel like I must support local businesses. I do it because I want to it in that exact place, or buy that exact thing.
Somethimes, when something new and very very local ( I mean, not a huge chain) opens near my place, I want to buy there something and yes, support a new local business and its' owner.

 

[Ash's_Chainsaw_Hand]

I saved 38.5+ thousand dollars in 2+ years of not going out and eating in restaurants.

As far as supporting the community...
Does it support me?
If it does then go right ahead and help your community. If your community does not support you well then you don't support them as well.

Nothing is for free. I've learned that the hard way.

Serious question. How did you figure out how much you saved? Did you put aside what it would have cost or did you average it out? Did the amount surprise you?

 

[Papa Pizzaria]

Despite everyone lamenting the rise of big business even the act of telling someone to lift a finger to stop it is met with "This is a free country" as if those same corporations you're enabling would be so kind to you.
I'll ask you, how likely do you think big business will start negatively affecting your life?

 

[JosephStalin]

I shop/do business at a variety of places - on base, on line, Costco, and certain local businesses. I go where I get the best deals and, as applicable, the best service. Take the car to a local auto repair shop - none finer in my eyes, and great value for the money. Buy the weekly donut or two at a local shop; no Dunkin' Donuts in this area.

Today shopped at Costco, the Base Exchange, and the commissary. This week taking car to local shop for oil change.

Don't believe anyone should be stovepiped into doing business solely at local businesses. Like any other business, local businesses need to earn the business.