Page 2 - ShopLocal.2016

2 – Friday, December 16, 2016 – El Dorado NEWS-TIMES
Small local businesses Four good reasons to
oIfferpersonaltouches S
even times. That’s
By Nathan P. Owens supplements are “three dol- selection across the nation,
Staff Writer lars less than ours,” Ballard independent stores have local community when you
said. more variety and more con- shop local. That means your n the digital age where However, the Ballard fam- trol over their products.
in our area.
Fourth, are the local sales taxes that fund all sorts of important services that benefit each and every oneofus—
daily deals on Amazon ily is optimistic and under- Inside Jefferson Street dollar circulates through-
A Message From The General Manager:
shop local this Christmas
how much your dol- lar turns over in our
more economic benefit, that gets repeated several times
are just a click buying local can be on the back of many people’s minds. However, when people sup- port their local businesses they are helping their com- munities thrive.
Mark Stodola, mayor of Little Rock, wrote in a letter to the editor to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for Arkansans to shop local this holiday season instead of browsing online, perhaps for better deals. When shop- pers spend money in their towns and cities, they are “encouraging entrepreneur- ship, keeping dollars in the local economy, boosting community well-being and job creation, and helping to protect the unique identity of [their] neighborhoods and communities,” Stodola said.
Local shops like Jefferson Street Books and the Olde Towne Store contribute to El Dorado’s unique aesthetic. The problem is that many people shop online or at places with the best prices, and don’t think of the con- sequences that has on small local businesses.
Mall businesses on the square are under pressure due to the economy, large corporate retailers, and the ease of shopping online, said Rob Ballard, owner of The Olde Towne Store.
The Ballard family has owned the store for 10 years, and they are committed to providing fresh baked goods, health foods, and vitamin supplements to the commu- nity. While the deli and bak- ery side of the store boost revenue for lunch, it’s diffi- cult to compete with other places when their prices for
time residents forget about the store, “the younger, for- ward-thinking people appre- ciate something like this,” Ballard said. The Ballard family has adjusted to the changing times by offering only high-quality products.
“You can get supplements anywhere, but not the same quality,” Ballard said. “We carry the best.”
Food items like locally sourced honey, jams, kitch- en pickled foods, coffee, accessories, and more can be found at the Olde Towne Store. Carrying products that are quality over quantity is the same motto for Cathy Butler, manager of Jefferson Street Books. Independent bookstores thrive by offering a wide selection, not just the latest trending books.
Large corporate retailers are “squashing down the lit- tle guys” with their low pric- es, which has encouraged a homogenous marketplace, Butler said. While corporate retailers offer the same small
able — including but not lim- ited to mysteries, romances, war stories, memoirs, biogra- phies, classics, hiking guides, and children’s books; as well as puzzles and toys. Also, the owners and employees offer a sprawling knowledge to customers that can’t be found in larger retailers.
On a recent Tuesday after- noon, a customer walked into Jefferson Street Books andpurchasedaPetetheCat toy to accompany the pop- ular children’s book. At the sight of Pete, Butler lit up and described her love for the children’s character.
It is relationships, custom- er engagement, and interac- tions like the one between Butler and her customer which often aren’t found in large retailers. The ability to go inside a store without an agenda, and leave happy with a purchase is what can make the shopping local experi- ence more enjoyable than shopping online.
and neighbors have employ- ment, and making sure your money is reinvested in our area through local sales tax revenues.
From where I sit, there are four really good reasons to shop local.
For one thing, it benefits the local merchant who you support and help stay in business.
Second, it helps that mer- chant employ your friends and neighbors who in turn spend their money to stimu- late the local economy.
Third, the money you spend with the local busi- ness will turn over as many as seven times locally. If you spend $100, it has the total impact of $700 in our com- munity. Just think about that and let it sink in.
When you spend with a local company, that business then has money to pay its employees who presum- ably go out and spend more money locally, creating
Ronnie things like law enforce- Bell ment, fire protec- tion, parks and recreation, addressing drainage issues, street repair and much more. Now there is no doubt, there are some things we cannot find in our home- town and we may have to turn to catalogs, the Internet or travel out of town. We can all understand that, but ordering from catalogs, the Internet or going out of town for items that can be found here is something we
should resist.
You might actually be sur-
prised at what you can find in the El Dorado area. To help point out some of the great places to shop in El
See REASONS, Page 5
away, stands that even when long- Books, there is every genre of
out our market seven times, fiction and nonfiction avail- helping to make sure friends
Our feature item is
Lampe Berger
Oil lamps to clean and perfume your home
Come by and register for a red lamp to be given away
ESaturday Dec. 17th
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522 W. 19th • 863-9292
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“ your personalization store “
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Your Razorback & Wildcat Headquarters
5331
102 E. Elm St. • Downtown El Dorado • 870-863-8111
GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT!