Why Phoenix, Arizona is a Haven for Mom & Pop Shops
Local, small businesses are coming back in a major way. In fact, Phoenix, Arizona is one of the top five best cities in the United States for small businesses. But what are the benefits of having and supporting these shops?
It’s great for you, because products are meticulously selected offering higher quality and more variety than you would find in chain stores. Take something as important as your health for example. Healthcare chains and pharmacies often give you inferior sweatshop generic drugs that don’t work as intended, versus small family run pharmacies like MG Pharmacy which only carries high quality rx drugs made in the United States, Europe, and Israel.
It’s also great for your community. Statistics show that when you spend money at a small locally run business, that money stays in your community at a much higher percentage than when you spend at corporate chains. Your community’s economy can thrive by supporting your local mom and pop shops.
Here are the best reasons to support your local independent businesses:
Quality
Small business offers a product that is of higher quality because the ingredients or components are often either local or produced in countries with better practices than sweatshop countries, and the product itself has received more attention than it would in a large factory.
Mass production can raise a red flag because the production process can be ethically unsound or potentially risky for your health.
The products you get from independent businesses are not just better quality overall, they’re selected specifically for members of the community. This is especially important when selecting food and pharmaceuticals. It’s best to go for local, small businesses as these will have a direct impact on your health.
For small businesses in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area, browse here.
Personalization
It is a great feeling to be known and remembered by the person from whom you have to make frequent purchases. Your local Mom and Pop small business owner will be more likely to be there for you when you need help from the business in any way.
They can also be a good resource for you in your career or social network because they are so well connected to your local community, and can help introduce you to other locals you may otherwise never have met. Your community’s local businesses serve the community because they custom built by and for the people who actually live there.
Experience
Going to mom and pop shops is an experience that can’t be beat. The service is top notch and you develop a relationship with the owners, sometimes culminating in discounts, perks like carrying items just for you, friendly reminder calls if you forgot to pick up your prescription, and networking opportunities. Local business owners do after all know literally everyone and every place in the community.
The charm also can’t be beat. In order to compete with big corporations small businesses have to step it up and offer an experience that franchises can’t. Whether it’s more variety, custom made products, or a retro 50s vintage vibe drugstore, it’s an added bonus to going local, and all part of the “American Dream” of the self made man.
Community
Local businesses recycle money back into the community. For every $100 spent at independent businesses, $43 goes back into the local economy versus only $13 when spent at large franchises. It’s not only good for the community economically, but they also add character and charm to your city, which builds a stronger community that draws more visitors and business.
These small local businesses sustain towns and cities like Glendale and Phoenix, making them vibrant, attractive centers. Independent mom and pop shops link neighbors and people together in a web of economic and social relationships that affect everyone, families and lawmakers included, contributing to local causes.
