Do You Buy Local?
09 November 2006 06:36 AM | Personal
I'm
trying to buy more things from locally owned
businesses. I am in the process of moving into a new
house in a new town and I had the choice in buying
things like appliances from Big Box Stores
or
buying form a local mom and pop store. Frankly I
could have saved some significant money by going
big box but with them, if something goes wrong,
I'm on my own whereas the local dealer sevices
what they sell.
Another factor is, the local dealer cares about your business. They want to make you happy so you will refer others to them. The big national retail chains, particularly the big box stores, don't really care about you the individual customer. You are just a demographic to them, a trend, part of a numbers game, because they have no emotional investment in the business. What you get from big corporation is bureaucracy not good service and the more layers you are away from the decision makers the worse the service.
I will still buy some things from the big boxes - electronics mostly since that stuff becomes obsolete or after a few years disposable rather than repairable. Electronics all seem the same to me no matter were you buy so I might as well buy on the basis of best price not service.
What do you prefer, big box or local?
Another factor is, the local dealer cares about your business. They want to make you happy so you will refer others to them. The big national retail chains, particularly the big box stores, don't really care about you the individual customer. You are just a demographic to them, a trend, part of a numbers game, because they have no emotional investment in the business. What you get from big corporation is bureaucracy not good service and the more layers you are away from the decision makers the worse the service.
I will still buy some things from the big boxes - electronics mostly since that stuff becomes obsolete or after a few years disposable rather than repairable. Electronics all seem the same to me no matter were you buy so I might as well buy on the basis of best price not service.
What do you prefer, big box or local?
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