The holiday season is a-blaze, no matter where you’re from – when all your money disappears on gifts, and businesses end their year on a high note. It’s very tempting to buy the cheapest things you can find on the shelves, but we would like to remind you why it’s important (and better for you and the people you’re gifting!) to shop small.
🔸️LOCAL
When you’re buying from a small business, that money goes into supporting your local economy, as the owners of the business will then be buying materials, products, and tools from other local businesses. This helps create a circular economy that can sustain itself.
🔸️SUSTAINABLE
Small businesses are sustainable not just on an economical level, but on an ecological one as well. Small-scale production often means that the owners will have to be resourceful, and by definition, create less waste. Owners of such businesses are more likely to care about the ethical and ecological impact of their production.
🔸️NICHE
Corporations don’t have the time or interest to create niche products, and such gifts are often very generic. Their goal is to maximise profits by putting the same picture on mugs, shirts, and hats. Small creators focus on creating thoughtful products, which are very niche-focused. Where else could you get a rat-shaped book holder?
🔸️THOUGHTFUL
With mass production you won’t have time to worry about pretty packaging or attention to detail, unless you want to increase costs. To stay competitive, small businesses have to stand out – be that with aesthetically pleasing packaging, freebies, or hidden details (like a poseable rat tail).
🔸️CUSTOMIZABLE
Sometimes, you can’t even get a replacement bottle cap, because the large store you got your bottle from says they arrive fully assembled, and they can’t contact the manufacturer for a single cap. In the meantime, a lot of small creators are open to commissions and custom requests.
Buying small doesn’t have to mean expensive – the love that went into it makes it even more worth it
Cover: @spo0nfright
Edit: @honeydoves_nest
