Shopping Local and Shopping Small - Why is it Important?

When you shop small and local you support the local economy and are gifted with the opportunity to ask questions about transparency

Shopping local offers us a connection between ourselves and our community. Shopping small limits overconsumption and can improve our daily lives.

Getting to know our Earth and the way we connect deepens our understanding. If we nourish this curiosity, we may be able to willfully respect our home and the land on which it resides. Our interactions within our community and our surrounding environment can be described as fundamentals of our understanding. Simultaneously, these interactions may encompass our most far fetched ideas. This is what makes the dream work - the wonderful ways we are all individuals sharing experience. But, we may not always realize the impact we have on others or how small decisions influence our shared future.

Shopping Small in America

It is well known in America that our culture prizes glamor and economic success. Often found wrapped within one another, cash flow and perceptive beauty are a major part of the lives of many. As these cultural influences surround us, we have the opportunity to look inward and reflect. Sometimes overlooked are the places we shop and the products we buy. These daily acts are capable of having an immense impact on the lives of others. Knowing where natural and even synthetic ingredients and materials are sourced helps form educated decisions that allow a choice for support or participation in specific business practices. 

Shopping Local in a Time of Globalization 

Why is it important to support our local economy when there is abundant trade and access to resources across the world? A harsh and shocking reality is that forced labor exists in countries across the world - even today. You might ask, how does my cotton t-shirt impact the freedom of another human being? Wouldn't it support the economy? Well, the short answer is yes - but the supply chain is often too long. Long supply chains make it nearly impossible to trace the origins of a product. However, when you shop small and local you directly support the local economy and have an opportunity to ask direct questions about product origins and transparency.

There is typically little reason not to disclose this information unless there is something to be hidden or it is simply unknown. A closer look often reveals that secrecy, and lack of transparency can reveal origins that are harmful to our physical environment and the quality of life of others. So the road to transparency rests in shopping small and local. When we nourish our curiosity by asking questions and raising internal awareness to our own buyer actions, the interactions within our community and our surrounding environment become the fundamentals of our understanding. 

This website is an excellent resource for supply chain reports:

https://knowthechain.org

To see our transparency statements for Poppy California apothecary and clothing read about them here: transparency statements.