Buying from LOCALLY OWNED businesses is good policy in economic development for any community. "Buy Local" is becoming a watchword from Britain, to US to Australia.
More links to articles on local economic development are on the left side of the link to the page above.
QUOTE newrules.org "...such policies help maintain long-term economic health and stability. Although big box developers claim their projects will generate new jobs and boost tax revenue, numerous studies have found otherwise. These big stores usually force dozens of local businesses to close, destroying about as many jobs and as much tax revenue as they create.
Much more of a dollar spent at a local store stays and multiplies in the local economy. Local merchants support a variety of our local businesses, such as banks, printers, accountants, and small manufacturers. Chain stores centralize these functions at their head offices and keep local spending to a minimum.
Consumers have options about where to shop and the community as a whole is not overly dependent on any one company. Corporate retailers tend to be fair-weather friends and routinely abandon stores when the economic winds shift. Wal-Mart currently has more than 350 vacant outlets nationwide." END QUOTE