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Buy local

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flying belgian

Well-known Member
The post below got me to thinking. How do you interpret the phrase "buy local"? When you are encouraged to buy local do you think that means in your nearest city, county, state or country? There is no right answer to this. Just looking for opinions.
 
There is no single definition of "Buy Local". Back in 2008, Congress tried to define it as within 400 miles of orgin, or within the state it is produced. It's like "Homegrown". Where's home at?
 
Buying local means you buy in the town you live in and the county you live in. I don't consider driving the 80 miles to Walmart as buying local.
 
If you buy where I live you pay delivery charges because no one stocks very much. If I buy outside my area, I pay delivery charges and they deliver to my door in other words, I don't have to drive to the store. Now who sells it cheaper and even the same product, out side my area. Why?
 
My hometown preaches "Buy Local" all the time, and as an elected official I should be tuned in to it. But--A couple of years ago, we needed a new blanket for our queen sized bed. In a town of 7,000, there was not one queen sized blanket to be found regardless of color or style, in any store. And that included Walmart.

I think demographics has a big impact. My hometown is 25 miles from Lincoln where there are myriad shopping options. On the other hand, a town like Broken Bow, NE, out in the Sandhills has to be more self sufficient, and the local merchants have to stock more diverse merchandise.
 
Local stores have nothing to buy, local business owners say,shop local , then they go out of town to spend their money somewhere else,local prices are very high, many smaller towns have lost almost all of their machinery and car dealers, only one real grocery store left on I-70 between Limon Colorado and Hays Kansas, that's over 200 miles.On Saturday morning if you get on the Interstate and drive 60 MPH you can watch all the locals go to Denver or Colorado Springs to shop.Sales tax is also very high in this county and there is sales tax on food .All the machinery dealers within 100 miles of Goodland Ks are owned by 4 outfits.
 
I live in a rural area.
I consider local the 2 small villages near me and the businesses around/within them. Grew up with most of the business owners or I can look out my window and see their families farms.
Bigger town(still small) 14 miles away...no, I don't consider it 'local'
 
I think it's just a foolish fad. Does it mean that if I'm 400 miles from home,I can't eat the food there because it's not grown where I live?
 
That's funny-The only 'local' Mon & Pop gas station/grocery store near me....the owners drive a ways to WalMart and buy the stuff to stock their store with and mark it up accordingly.

So, they ain't no buying "local" around me.
 
I've caught the wife of a husband-and-wife-owned plumbing store buying a huge shopping cart of stuff from Menards....all of which she could have purchased locally.
I've seen the wives of local business owners buying items from large cities instead of buying local.
However, the two examples above have always stressed that everybody should buy local.
The term "buy local" has a selective meaning I guess.
 
I buy from people locally that are actually producing what they are selling like the guy I buy watermelons and cantaloupes from,they're fresh from the patch,I like the way he grows them and the quality is superior to anything else I can get.Yea I pay more than the tasteless stuff at the grocery store but its well worth it plus I'm supporting a small farmer that does things the way I want them done.I pick and buy grapes from a local grape producer thats grows them the same way I would.Power of the purse is the only true way to really change anything.If the local hardware store is selling the same china made tape measure as Walmart and Walmart is cheaper I'll buy it from Walmart.
 
To me buy local is buying something that's growing or made in the area as in c.s.a type business . A cheese factory making cheese from milk at a local farm . It's basically helping the little guy survive. Saying that I once had to wait at a local Amish store I was supposed to pick up sugar and you guessed it I had to wait for the owner to get back from Walmart with it
 
Amazon has a facility in one of the cities I have to go to for anything besides basic groceries. Does that make shopping Amazon local?
 
If you look at tools in NAPA or Bumper to Bumper , you find the same made in China junk that HF has at much higher prices
 
Gambles Do you KNOW what the minimum order is with many plumbing companies???? We have a local hardware store that has been in business for well over 100 years. HE is a one man show. When his Father died here a few years ago the "DO-IT-BEST chain would not transfer the old contract to him. The new contract stated he had to purchase $150,000 each year from them to remain a retailer for them. HE could not do that. So he is with a different company now but there are no others for him to chose from. With his "new" company he has a minimum order of $2500. How many plumbing items would it take to meet the minimum order??? He also talked about how on standard plumbing items his cost was higher than Menards retail price.

So you local plumbing supplier wife MIGHT have been out of some stuff but did not have a big enough order to meet the minimum with their direct supplier.
 
One example: I do about 50% of my heat with wood. I buy wood from a business in this county, trees cut in this county, workers (as far as I know) from this county, land owners paid stumpage in this county.

Unfortunately, due to age and reality, the other 50% is oil, and we all know where THAT money goes.

Also whenever possible, I buy from in-state companies rather than Big Box stores. Pay a little more maybe, but keep the money in-state or at least in-country. Lumber, hardware, fresh produce, meat, whatever is available that is "local".
 
I have no reason to buy local. The service in this town is very bad. Except for three places.Every town in this county is growing except this one.
 
I know exactly what the minumums are. I work for a company that competes with this lady.
My employer does plumbing, HVAC, and electrical new construction/remodel.
Both companies exist in a small town and I know this lady well. That's why it was so uncomfortable for her to see me as she was walking out of Menards.
 
Reminds me of a state out east that required state agencies to purchase equipment made in that state if the equipment was made in the state. Came the requirement to have photo ID driver licenses. There was one company in the state that made such cameras and related equipment. State purchased them even though they were warned that the equipment was junk. Turned out to be true. Hardly one photo was recognizable but most of the time the stuff just didn't work. State had to rescind the requirement so DMV could purchase some usable equipment.
 
Whenever possible and practical, I do try to buy from local folks that I know. But, there are times when it is simply not practical.

Example1: I needed parts for my refrigerator. Went to the local Appliance parts store. They did not stock what I needed, and told me that it would take over a week to get it. Looked on the internet, and found what I needed and had it 3 days later for 1/5 of the price. That appliance parts store will not see me again, local or not.

Example2: I was doing a valve job on a car for a friend. Needed a replacement valve. Local parts store wanted $17 for a single valve. On the internet, I could buy an entire set for $86 delivered to my door in 2 days. Same brand, same manufacture.

I have to say that I would prefer to be able to do business with my local friends and neighbors, but sometimes it simply is not practical. Our retail system is BROKEN. There is no reason for the big box store to be able to sell an item for less than it costs the local hardware store guy to stock it.
 
Thanks for the compliment, backhole. I'll give you a hint. Their governor is running for president. Or, at least, he thinks he is.
 
Interesting reading.

When Wal Mart built a Super Center in a town not too far from me the local businesses fought it tooth and nail claiming that it was going to kill them. Most dropped their prices and are still there doing fine 15 years later. I know someone who has been off and on the city counsel in that town sense Wal Mart got in. He explains it like this. They draw from such a large area that people come to that town to go to the Super Center and then do other shopping while there. In fact the only place of note that went under was an already in decline box store. Sense Wal Mart went in they have picked up a Menards and several other stores.

I try to buy from local businesses when it's feasible because of the conveniences. I need one bolt because I broke something I can drive 6 miles if I don't have one and pay double, as much as 70 cents or so or I can drive 25 miles burning 3 gallons of gas at 2.50 a gallon. Plus buying local means I back home fixing what's broken while I would still be driving if I were trying to save that 70 cents.

A friend of mine retired and sold his hardware store about 4 years ago. Little store in a little town. I know what he was paying for items because he didn't have enough volume to get on with a bigger hardware chain. Most often on something like a paintbrush he was paying over double from his vendor over what you could buy that brush at Wal Mart, Home Depot or Fleet Farm.

RIck
 

I buy from places that employ my friends, neighbors, and family. Walmart, target, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. all employ my friends and neighbors and I happily buy from them all.

I care not one whit where an article is made, and in many cases would rather have a Chinese item than a poorly made American item. Americans no longer have the work ethic or skills to produce the quality we all remember and miss, but some Chinese items are quite good. But as far as the retail sale goes, I buy from wherever my friends and family derive their income.

I generally do not buy from the "mom and pop" stores because they tend to be over-priced and I would rather give my business where it will help keep friends and neighbors emplooyed.
 
There are plenty of scandals in New Jersey to go around. This wasn't really a scandal. It was just something the "Motor Vehicle Commission" got locked into. As I recall, it happened back in the 80s.
 
(quoted from post at 16:58:36 08/23/15) The post below got me to thinking. How do you interpret the phrase "buy local"? When you are encouraged to buy local do you think that means in your nearest city, county, state or country? There is no right answer to this. Just looking for opinions.
Click to expand...

I've tried, but it's become impossible for many things. There were a dozen or more lumberyards in this county 30 years ago, now there is not one. Lowes, HD, and Menards have run them all out. Most of the hardware stores also. 2 Hardware stores that I know of, are going to be gone within 5 years, the owners are getting old, and nobody is willing to take over a pretty marginal business. One hardware store went back to 1921. The owner told me that there literally wasn't enough income to pay the utility bills in the last couple of years. Small retail is dead.
 
(quoted from post at 10:35:53 08/24/15)
I buy from places that employ my friends, neighbors, and family. Walmart, target, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. all employ my friends and neighbors and I happily buy from them all.

I care not one whit where an article is made, and in many cases would rather have a Chinese item than a poorly made American item. Americans no longer have the work ethic or skills to produce the quality we all remember and miss, but some Chinese items are quite good. But as far as the retail sale goes, I buy from wherever my friends and family derive their income.

I generally do not buy from the "mom and pop" stores because they tend to be over-priced and I would rather give my business where it will help keep friends and neighbors emplooyed.
Click to expand...

I think this is how most Americans feel. ( Captain Obvious here )
 
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