I need a bike. I used to think that I just wanted a bike, but I truly need one. Do you need one, too? Well – check out Second Life Bikes in Asbury Park, NJ!

Second Life Bikes is more than just a used bike shop. Way more. They describe themselves as a biking community center in Asbury Park where people connect to each other, build skills, join group bike rides, learn bike safety, and create bike art and custom designs that can support new social enterprises. They say that their “mission is to get more people (especially youth) on bikes.”

Before you go, check this video to see why you really need to support this local business!

21 Main Street
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
732.776.6878
www.secondlifebikes.org

Costco and Whole Foods Market Support Local With Good Corporate Citizenship

I’ve spent a lot of time looking into how large superstore chains can hurt the economy. From predatory pricing to poorly compensated employees, I decided early on that there isn’t much to like about these conglomerates. They end up doing much more to hurt the local economies surrounding them than helping. Or so I thought….

It is true. There are some conglomerates that will never be good corporate citizens in their local economies. I shudder at the thought of giving them business, but why not? They are local, right? And they do employ my friends, family and neighbors, right?

Yes. But in order to improve their reputation, they need to be active in improving their citizenship status within their communities.We’ve seen examples of this in a couple of our local superstores: Costco and Whole Foods Market.

How do they do it?

Being Too Generous To Their Employees

Back in 2005, Wall Street continually faulted Costco CEO Jim Sinegal of “being too generous to employees.” This was, and continues to be worn as a badge of honor by Sinegal and Costco, and their customers take note, staying loyal to Costco “because they like that low prices do not come at the workers’ expense.” As Sinegal puts it, “this is not altruistic. This is good business.”

Supporting Local Vendors

Whole Foods Market has a track record of supporting local companies and selling local products in their stores. While becoming a vendor for Whole Foods Market isn’t an easy task, the process is simplified and can become lucrative for both parties. They are also pretty open about their sourcing efforts in some cases, like this one in Hawaii.

Working To Strengthen Their Community

Even further, Whole Foods Market touts what they call their Commitment to Society. One of the tenets of this commitment is Community Giving which provides a framework that any conglomerate can follow to give back to their communities.

Another tenet which is most impressive is their overt financial support by way of their Local Producer Loan Program. These loans employ rates that rival SBA rates (currently between 5% and 9%). Have a look!

What I Like About Them

The very practice of buying local is intended to strengthen and bolster the local economy. With the support that Costco and Whole Foods Market provide to individuals and their communities, these companies fall within the buying local ecology. I support such companies when local stores can’t provide a job for my nephew or don’t have what I am looking for. If my nephew can’t find a job at a local small business, I’ll send him over to Costco. If I’m going to buy something, I’ll always buy local instead—but if my local grocer doesn’t have the cut of meat or particular vegetable that I am looking for, Whole Foods Market might. And if they do, they probably got it from a local vendor.

If you’re close to my age, you may remember a sweet little Sesame Street animated short about a girl who was tasked to walk to her local grocery to buy these staples for her mother. I’d have loved to do that for my mom – I asked her if I could, but we lived in suburbia, and the local stores were a bit farther than up the block and around the corner. The closest one was about two miles away, and the closest supermarket was about the same distance.

Buy them local instead!
Image credit: belchonock / 123RF Stock Photo

For a time, such little “mom-n-pop” stores dwindled into near extinction. It was common to see them close down as supermarkets and super stores popped up in nearly every town around us. Indeed, in some cases, pushing the mom-n-pops out of our communities was the very intent of the larger national conglomerates.

Some local grocers, farmers markets and specialized shops like fish markets, butchers and delis still thrive in their communities, though, and as more communities begin to see more value in purchasing from them rather than the superstores, more and more mom-n-pops like them are popping up around towns and in town centers.

Am I Saving Money At The Local Market?

There are many benefits to purchasing local food from a local market, but will you actually save money? On the price tag, you may find that the local price is a bit more than the superstore price, and sometimes there’s a nefarious reason for that. As we are learning to stretch our dollars further in this challenging economy, we’ve learned to look beyond the price tag and consider the other factors that will contribute to the cost of your purchase.

So why wouldn’t I buy a loaf of bread from the superstore at $2.29 when it’s $2.99 at the farmer’s market in town? Because it just makes more sense not to. Don’t take our word for it – others agree. GreenUpgrader has 10 great reasons why spending $.70 cents more saves you money in the short run.

Next time you need a loaf of bread, a container of milk or a stick of butter, Local Joan says “Take a walk to the local market, and if they’re around, bring the kids!”