The giving season is upon us and it can mean all sorts of things to all sorts of people.

For retail merchants the giving season often represents the time of the year that their books start to show evidence that their hard work all year will pay off. For charities it represents the time of year that people feel, and act most philanthropic. For everyone else it can be a stressful time of balancing the budget, their values around commercialism and over-consumption, and their desire to show their friends and family that they care by
giving them a token of their love and appreciation.

What if you were able to do good – by shopping?

In this day of local, fair trade and ethical shopping, we can make all sorts of choices about how we use our gift dollars to do good.

If supporting the resiliency and sustainability of your community is important to you, or the person you are gifting to, then just choosing a local merchant, service provider or product over a non-local business can make a huge difference.

Michael Shuman, economist, attorney, prolific author and instructor of the course ‘LocaNomics: Principles and Practice for Community Prosperity’ in SFU’s Community Economic Development program says, “For every dollar that you spend at a local shop you get two to four times the economic impact that you would had you shopped just at its non-local competitor.”

Shuman references a study out of the US that showed for every $100 spent at a local bookstore, $43 stayed in the local economy, compared to only $13 when the same $100 was spent at a chain bookstore. These stats have proven consistent in over a dozen studies done both inside and out of the US.

Shuman says that the difference between local and non-local merchants, and how one better supports the local economy, is partly explained by where the company’s head office is. “Chain-stores don’t have upper management here; their lawyers and accountants are not here and the chain-stores don’t advertise in local media.”

Are Chapters executives having dinner in Sidney tonight, or buying their Girl Guide cookies from your daughter? Are their lawyers buying their holiday turkeys from Carnivore Meats & More, (whose owner buys many of his turkeys from Ireland Farms, and whose bookkeeper lives just down the road…).

The idea of supporting charities or causes through product purchases is nothing new. World Aids Day sees Apple selling red iPods in support of the cause while New Balance offers you the option of ‘lacing up for the [breast cancer] cure,’ through the purchase of their rose-coloured sneakers. Of course the Girl Guides have been easing our cookie splurging guilt since 1927.

Used Victoria has started a new service that benefits shoppers, local charities and de-clutterers alike. People are invited to list treasures that they are ready to part with, but instead of taking the money themselves, they elect to offer the money to the charity of their choice. Local charities are registered on the site and unlike a regular sale on Used Victoria, the money exchange is done online via credit cards. For more information see #UsedHelps on UsedVictoria.com.

If fair trade that supports families in distant lands interests you, then Sidney’s Laloca is certainly worth a visit. Tucked away in the alley at Garden Court off Beacon Avenue, this little shop is chock full of treasures from both near and far. Shop owner Christine Downing says, “Laloca is dedicated to building sustainable livelihoods for people both locally and across the world.”

Saanich Voice Online invites you to support our local merchants this giving season, because it’s a great thing to do – and because they support local media.