Real benefits to shopping local

As far as online shopping has come, it still can’t smile at you or tell you a joke or shake your hand or go that extra mile to make sure you’re getting exactly what you came for. Online shops don’t even have a nice smell!

Local shops have all of that and much, much more.

The phrase 'shop local' is bandied about a lot these days without much of an explanation beyond 'it’s good for the local economy'.

It is good for the local economy, very good, but its benefits reach far, far deeper than that.

Did you know that shopping local is actually much better for the environment? A stroll into town is not only good for your health, but it means you’re often getting fresher produce and reducing your food miles. By choosing a local vendor, you can purchase goods produced in your community. Farmer’s markets are a great example of this. Food produced locally doesn’t need to be flown in or driven thousands of miles to arrive on your plate.

Another reason to shop locally is the importance of investing in your community. Supporting your local economy and helping businesses to thrive can have a huge long-term impact on a neighbourhood or a village or a town. It can even boost land value and pave the way for new businesses to establish themselves, thus creating new jobs and more reasons for people to stay in a community rather than moving away.

Are you a bargain hunter? We all are to some degree, and local shops who rely largely on footfall know this. They will often give great deals on items in an effort to boost sales and bring people into the shop, something larger international brands don’t necessarily need to do, especially online.

However, it’s not always possible for everyone to get to a physical shop when they need to, and that’s where local online shopping comes in.

Shopincork.ie, part of the Cork Independent group, offers shoppers the experience of walking into Cork’s popular malls and down local shopping streets, browsing and connecting you with the amazing suppliers as though they were right there in front of them.

No matter where you are in the world, Cork’s local businesses are now all in one place and only one click away!

So, this Christmas, keep all of this in mind as you go about your festive shopping and remember that when you support your community, your community supports you and check out shopincork.ie.