Shop Local, Shop Green? Maybe not.
I love shopping at local boutiques. Almost all of my Christmas gifts will come from independently-owned stores. And I try to buy Minnesota-made gifts as often as I can. Not because of any sort of higher mission. I just like to buy unique presents, and I like to put some effort into it.
Conventional wisdom (and a lot of the “Shop Local” hype) pushes this idea that shopping local is the environmentally friendly thing to do. It can be. If you buy “green” gifts, made in Minnesota from recycled materials (for example), that’s clearly environmentally friendly. But the biggest thing the proponents of the shop local idea push is that there’s less fuel consumption because items are shipped a shorter distance. Sounds logical enough. But that breaks down when you consider that you can ship a heck of a lot of stuff on a semi truck. Even if the mileage is awful, you get so much more stuff on the truck. Locally-sourced items are typically small shipments in smaller vehicles with good mileage. But that typically means more trips.
Here’s a good analysis of the shop local versus buy local issue. I know, there are a million variables: how often the truck stops, how far it travels, etc. My point: the environmental benefit is not a slam dunk.
The economic benefit appears to be. MN 2020 put together a report showing that nearly 70 cents of every dollar spent at local, independent shops stays in the local economy. That compares to about 43 cents at national retailers. Worth considering.
MN 2020 has a list of Minnesota producers from all around the state. Not just the metro Twin Cities. All the producers have websites, so you can order chocolate from New Ulm even if you live in Rochester.
EcoMetro has a fantastic Twin Cities “Blue Sky Guide”. They’ve listed stores that sell products that are environmentally-friendly. You can buy the Blue Sky Guide for $20, it’s a coupon book, and you’ll get your money back by only using one or two of the coupons.
In our story, I featured a great Minneapolis store called, “I like you.” They have a blog (which could be updated more often!), and are located at 42nd & Nicollet in south Minneapolis. Everything inside is from local crafters, a great place for affordable last-minute gifts.
BuyLocalMN is another guide of local, independent retailers in Minnesota. It’s sorted by category. One of the big problems small stores have is a lack of marketing ability. The Metro Independent Business Association is trying to address that.
And, Minneapolis Picks puts together a monthly newsletter with local shopping ideas. They have great places there.
Have a favorite local store or retailer? E-mail me. I’ll share your suggestions at DeBlog!
