Buy locally

By Ron Moore

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If a survey of our community was taken, I believe a big majority would support buying goods from businesses owned and operated locally. So why don't we?

l The exact product we want is not available locally.

l It is cheaper to buy through the Internet or from catalogs

l It is easier to order from our home computer than drive to a store.

l Internet buying is an extension of our fascination (obsession?) with technology devices.

So why should we buy local?

l What we need is usually available locally.

l We can deal with the owner of the store.

l A price comparison often finds that the cost difference is negligible.

l Local stores have real people to advise, to service, to back up performance.

l Local merchants pay state and local sales and property taxes and their employees pay state income taxes, property and sales taxes - all of which support our community. Internet/catalog sellers, without a store in Iowa, pay none of these taxes

l The local store owners and their employees volunteer as workers and/or contribute money to local projects that help those in need and to community building projects

Their competition is not just from the Internet and catalogs. When we do buy locally, we often go to the big nationally owned stores with huge inventories and giant advertising budgets.

Stalker Electric closed in 2012. It was a family business serving our community as far back as the 1940s. It sold electrical lighting fixtures and supplies and offered repair service for small electrical appliances. The big box stores, Internet, and catalog sellers now sell the appliances and service on them often is not available - just “buy a new one.”

Sanford's was also a strong downtown presence in Cedar Rapids through the 1960s. It offered books, games, craft and art supplies for children and adults. And personal advice. The big national franchise stores took many of their customers. Sanford's along others including Stalker, Armstrongs, Killians, Cramers, were downtown Cedar Rapids “institutions” - an important part of what made this community special.

Family and specialist physicians owned and operated their own practices individually or with a small number of associates. In the last decade, most became employees of the hospitals or the big clinic. Fortunately, I still receive quality professional treatment but I wonder what restrictions my doctors are under from their employers.

More and more locally owned stores are closing. The trends identified above are occurring because many of us do not act in our own best interest. We are vulnerable to advertising and promotion. Too bad for us and our community.

Ron Moore is a risk management consultant from Cedar Rapids. Comments: reugenemoore@gmail.com