Lookbook: Power of Shopping Small
When you Shop Small, you're not just supporting neighborhood favorites – you're investing in your community. Whether you buy a festive sweater from a local boutique (ahem....we know a good one) or grab a hot chocolate from your favorite coffee shop (howdy neighbor), your support makes the holidays even happier for small businesses and our community as a whole.
A few reasons to shop small FIRST this holiday season:
- Small businesses say "yes" more often than not when asked to donate to the local school silent auction, the little league softball team and the jambalaya dinner benefitting a family in need. When business is good, donations can follow because we know that investing in the communities that invest in us is important, critical and downright vital to a good economy.
- Small businesses pay local taxes that are then directly used in our local communities (schools, roads - the list goes on).
- Small businesses employ people in our community. The SoSis team specifically is small, but mighty employing eight young women this holiday season. From college students to up and coming young professionals, when you shop with our small business, you support our team. You support increases income for them and the chance for them to reinvest in our local community. The circle continues.
- Small businesses adapt to our community's needs and listen when customers give feedback. Because we are closer to our customers, we are in a better position to hear feedback and make changes quickly. Want to see more jewelry options? We can literally make that for you. Need more variety in sizing? We've got you, sis.
The list could go on, but these are a few that mean a lot to SoSis.
Here are a few tips to be sure you shop small first this holiday season:
- Ditch the Amazon wishlists and instead create a Pinterest board with links to local store websites! Looking for a specific toy, don't assume you won't find it on a local toy store's website. Our favorite local spots are: Bella Grace, Olly-Olly, Giggles and Lulu & Bean (all of which can be found on Charlie Jo's Christmas/Birthday Wishlist Pinterest board).
- When shopping small for others, take photos of things YOU would like on your Christmas wishlist. Create an album on your phone and remember where you saw it. When your mother-in-law calls looking for ideas, quickly shoot over a few photos of interesting finds and tell her the name of the business. You'll never know the many happy dances that will be done when a small business gets an order from out of town because a local customer recommended it. So many dance moves!
- Stop, drop the phone and THINK - can I purchase this locally? We know, life moves fast. We are all on the move and thinking of things in the middle of writing that email, sending that text, driving that commute. But before you top the brown app with the smile, we beg you to ask yourself - can SoSis get this for me? Can Bella Grace print this for me? Can Twisted Oak carry this brand? Can Don's Sportsman order my Dad's size in these? Don't assume a small business can't. Assume we CAN and shift the way you shop this holiday season and beyond.
What's one thing you can do right now to commit to shopping small first this holiday season? We've got it.
Take the #ShopSmallFirst pledge. Post on social media, tag @shopsosis, and tell us why and how you are shopping small first. Every tag will be DM'd a special coupon code valid on your next SoSis purchase.
Need a little style inspiration? We've got you. Check out our latest photos from Cassie Treuil Photography.