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Forget Amazon and shop local this holiday season.
I know, I know. Shopping Amazon with that free Prime shipping is super convenient.
But there are a lot of benefits when it comes to shopping local. According to Local First Arizona, for $100 spent at a locally owned shop, $43 stays in the local economy. When spending $100 at a non-local shop, only $13 stays in the economy. Money sticking around in a local economy helps support your neighbors’ jobs and wages.
Shopping local also reduces your carbon footprint. Local goods generally need to travel less to get the consumer, reducing pollution and fuel consumption.
Other reasons you may choose to shop local include seeking staff who have more expertise on a product, supporting a business’s commitment to local charities, and contributing to more competition and innovation in the marketplace.
Arizona Marketplace
It can be hard to shop local online. Some businesses rely on in-person sales and don’t list their products for sale on a website, or they’re hard to find.
Luckily, Local First Arizona created a webpage to bring those businesses into one, easy-to-find location.
The Arizona Marketplace features more than 300 local vendors, offering state pride apparel, locally made beauty products, and more.
Some listings include:
- Gift cards for pottery classes at PIP Coffee and Clay in Phoenix
- Boxes of yummy spreads made by Phoenix business Di Casa
- A line of Mexican spiced chocolates from Carolina’s Chocolates in Mesa
- Handcrafted jewelry from Tucson-based Casa Kira
More options
If you’re looking for something not in the marketplace, you can also check Local First Arizona’s business directory, which has hundreds of listings. Some stores offer curbside pickup or delivery options.
Don’t forget about local restaurants. Complement your productive holiday shopping with some delicious recovery meals. Or, if you’re in a doubly giving spirit, you can donate meals from a local restaurant to a nearby hospital, fire station, or other place that could use some good food.
Gift cards are also a good way to help support businesses now, even if you don’t need anything at the moment. You can include them in Christmas gifts or buy them for yourself for future use.
You can still help, too, even if you have no money to spend. Sharing your favorite businesses’ pages on social media and giving them positive reviews can help increase their visibility and bring in some sales.
READ MORE: 9 groovy record stores in metro Phoenix
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Since day one, our goal here at The Copper Courier has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Arizona families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.
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