Upkar Says … If You Live In The London Boroughs of Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney and Hammersmith & Fulham … SHOP LOCAL!

BUYING LOCAL means that you are supporting your local economy! In fact several studies have demonstrated that when you buy from a locally-owned business as opposed to a chain store, significantly more of your money is used to buy from other local businesses and service providers. This means that your money is going straight back into your own community and supporting even more local jobs. It also means that you are buying locally-sourced products with none of the large carbon footprints of the goods that the large chain stores fly in from across the globe.

Why not buy what you want rather than what some slick marketing executive wants you to buy? Small businesses select their goods based not on a ‘one size fits all’ national sales plan but on the needs of their local customers. Indeed, it’s doubtful if the recent horsemeat scandal would have ever occurred if everyone bought from their local butchers – who, in turn, buy their beef and pork from farms that they know, using short supply chains and providing full traceability.

Did you know that small local businesses are the largest employer both nationwide and in our local communities? They also give 250% more to charities than larger businesses.

Local shops and traders are mainly based in town centres and require comparatively little investment in infrastructure and make more efficient use of public services thus ensuring that your taxes are put to good use. Think of all the upheaval and extra traffic that big store development brings!

The closure of local independent shops, businesses and traders would be catastrophic to any local community as it would force residents to travel further and limit their choice. It could also result in the remaining suppliers, (in particular the main multinationals), inflating their prices.

That’s why Upkar Singh Rai says Support Local Shops, Businesses and the Self-Employed!

• THIS ARTICLE should be read in conjunction with the following:

Introducing Upkar Singh Rai: http://nationalliberal.org/introducing-upkar-singh

Introducing our Candidate for London Mayor: http://nationalliberal.org/nlp-press-release-introducing-our-candidate-for-london-mayor

Upkar Says … If You Live In The London Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley and Brent … SHOP LOCAL! http://nationalliberal.org/upkar-says-%e2%80%a6-if-you-live-in-the-london-boroughs-of-barking-dagenham-barnet-bexley-and-brent-%e2%80%a6-shop-local

Upkar Says … If You Live In The London Boroughs of Bromley, Camden, Croydon and Ealing … SHOP LOCAL! http://nationalliberal.org/upkar-says-%e2%80%a6-if-you-live-in-the-london-boroughs-of-bromley-camden-croydon-and-ealing-%e2%80%a6-shop-local