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Loading...10 Reasons To Ditch The Mall
- Ronnie Citron-Fink
- November 27, 2011
- 9:07 am
- 76 comments
When my kids were young, after school they walked from their middle school to my husband’s office in the village. They strolled past a small grocery store, past the coffee shop and past the drug store–all locally-owned businesses.
One day, I stopped at the drug store before picking up the kids at the office. The pharmacist proceeded to tell me that my kids had stopped in for an after school snack. He mentioned that he ordered my favorite type of natural toothpaste, and added that my best friend had just been in to pick up birthday cards. The pharmacist took a sincere interest in all the village happenings. In fact, it wasn’t just him, most of the merchants in the village created relationships with the neighborhood.
I conveyed this story to one of my teaching colleagues the next day and she sadly shook her head, lamenting that her only pharmacy choice was a CVS in the mall. Her small town had been stripped of its downtown and replaced by a big mall.
This story may seem cliché, but local shops offer services and products that cannot be found at the mall. Consider these 10 reasons to ditch the mall:
10 Reasons To Ditch The Mall And Shop Local
1. Reduce Environmental Footprint
Vibrant, compact villages and towns are prime for bike-friendly communities. People drive less, and reduce urban sprawl that adds to animal habitat loss, and air and water pollution.
2. Strengthen Your Community
Local businesses build strong neighborhoods. People are more likely to connect and make contributions.
3. Support Local Decisions
Support local business decisions, as those choices impact the community.
4. Strengthen Local Economy
Shopping locally helps create jobs, and invests in neighborhood improvements that promote community development.
5. Create Jobs and Preserve Living Wages
At the local level, jobs are created. In some instances, small businesses provide better wages and benefits than big-box chain stores.
6. Preserve Local Culture
Local art and history are preserved and kept alive. Big-box chain stores tend to be devoid of cultural value.
7. Entrepreneurship
Fostering an entrepreneurial spirit contributes to the economic foundation of communities and allows those with low-wage jobs to advance.
8. Foster Creative Product Diversity
Small stores can bring more innovative handcrafted items. Big mall stores limit the incentive for creative product ideas.
9. Small Businesses Create Inventory for Local Shoppers
Local shops can offer services and products based upon the interests and needs of their customers. Large chain stores depend on national sales plans. This provides a more generic product.
10. Preserve Local Character
Help create and celebrate a community culture by purchasing local goods.
Do you shop local?
For more, check out Smart Growth America.
Read more: Bath & Shower, Children, Christmas, Community, Community Service, Conscious Consumer, Do Good, Eco-friendly tips, EcoNesting, Green Gifts, Hanukkah, Holidays, Holidays & Gifts, Life, Make a Difference, big box stores, businesses, communities, economy, handcrafts, locavore, malls, shop local, shopping, smart growth, stores
Ronnie Citron-Fink
Ronnie Citron-Fink is a writer, editor and educator. She has written hundreds of articles about sustainable living, the environment, design, and family life for websites, books and magazines. Ronnie is the creator of Econesting, and the managing editor of Moms Clean Air Force. Ronnie was named one of the Top Ten Living Green Experts by Yahoo. Ronnie lives in New York with her family.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
people are talking
Don´t laugh at your pet! ;-)
Noted , thanks .
poor kitty - he was embarrassed at being laughed at.
Very beautiful pictures. Thank you very much for sharing.
Yes, Mac, Kelly's correct and it didn't take Gordon Ramsey's advice to make me aware of that one. I…
76 comments
+ add your ownLiving in a small town there are a couple of rather small malls around, one has a local grocery store, some chain stores, some local stores, the other mall is so small it just has a food store, a dollar store, a hair cut place, a drug store and a few other things that I forget.
Like small shops and generally go there or to other small towns as well but not their malls.
Thanks for sharing
the mall is mostly for vanity. drugstores and small shops are most for necessary items.
I'm trying to go as much local as possible...
Oh and K-mart and Bank of America too! LOL
Gotto love this article on the same page as huge advertisments and sponsors from Target and Macy's-REALLY????
Local shopping villages/areas always have a nicer atmosphere too.
Show your support for OWS. Do not purchase Christmas gifts this year. Make them instead. This will hurt the 1%.
I like trying to support local small businesses before seeking out large multinational corporations.
thank you!
i have a part time job at a local shop, i love knowing everyone incolved in the business, from the owners to the sales people.
and you deffinitely can't get the things we sell at the mall!
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