Dear Editor,
Shop local. Start now.
Here are some recent experiences which show how easy it is to support our friends and neighbours.
1. My clock radio quit. So I bought a new one at London Drugs, then decided to check online to see if I could save a bundle. I plugged make/model into Google. The first hit was Amazon.ca. To the penny, the price was the same so my purchase helped support a local clerk and cashier and didn’t put another parcel on an airplane and with a courier. It also supported a company which pays local taxes and contributes to local events and activities.
2. I needed a 12-volt fan for a cabin. The first search result was Amazon.ca. The second was Canadian Tire but its identical fan was $3 cheaper and again, a clerk helped me find it and a cashier took my money.
There’s another story involving razor blades. And one about the the local music shop that offers free post-sale service for items it sells. Buying from Canadian-owned stores will have you supporting London Drugs, Canadian Tire, Rexall, as well as local businesses carrying locally-made products.
These examples illustrate how we can keep our money in our community, not support far-off billionaires and website programmers.
All the staff and owners above had more money in their pockets to go to a restaurant, purchase an oil change, buy some clothes or get work done on their home. It’s about building our community.
Christmas is about much more than shopping, but for those necessary purchases, make Christmas more merry by shopping local.
Tom Rankin
Kamloops