There is an increased of interest in buying local food and products. While consumers have many choices of products, we have defaulted in finding what is the cheapest and most convenient. Unfortunately, we are starting to pay for it with your personal and national health. Food choices can be a real challenge, and changing where and how we shop can be time consuming and stressful. Consider the benefits of buying local can be great.
One organization that is helping people follow the "Eat Local, Buy Local, Be Local" regarding food choices is Sustainable Table
People have fallen into the habit and trap of buying from online retail giants like Amazon, but some people have started buying from small online retailers instead.
Giant e-commerce companies like Amazon are starting to extinguish small competitors with discounted prices. Online e-commerce businesses have had a 19 percent jump in revenue this year over 2011. Small online retailers growth has been only 7 percent.
Consumers are starting to get a general distrust for some online retailers. It is certainly the case with cell phone companies. People need to join the battle for the small digital mom-and-pop business facing off against Amazon and Walmart. During the 2011 Christmas season, the 25 biggest online retailers, including Amazon.com, Target.com and Walmart.com, received 70 percent of e-commerce dollars spent. Amazon can offer price cuts on many items because of its size and profits from their other businesses. The can even less at a loss with other divisions of their company picking up the difference. They can offer free overnight shipping on thousands of items.
Some people value a different style of shopping and also see that the recession has made us look into supporting local businesses.
There is a "Buy It Where You Try It" campaign on Twitter and Facebook. It is all too common where someone goes asking for advice on a product and then says, "I wonder if I could find this on Amazon." Some small e-commerce retailers say just can't compete with the online superstores. Just like Walmart did with their massive inventories or cut deals, so goes Amazon.
People just still keep the idea in their heads to "buy it wear you try it", and not undermine local merchants and overlook small online stores.
