The new Sundre and District Chamber of Commerce website, officially launched last week, includes a call for residents and visitors alike to shop locally.
“Sundre has some beautiful, unique, professional businesses unlike any other, with customer service to match,” officials said.
“Consider shopping local when you need a product or service for your home or business — check within the Chamber membership first to see who is here to serve you.”
The chamber has provided the following Top 10 reasons to shop locally:
10. Public Benefits and Costs - Local stores require comparatively little infrastructure and make more efficient use of public services relative to big box stores and strip shopping malls.
9. Local Decision Making - Local ownership means that important decisions are made locally by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions.
8. Local Businesses Risk a Lot - Our local retailers bought their stock six months ago hoping to sell it today, pay their employees, pay their taxes, heat and hydro, donate to charity, and hopefully pay themselves. YOU and members of your family may be some of those employees who may be looking for that paycheck.
7. Get Better Service - The people of Sundre are very friendly and want to give you the best they have. After all, they know you might be their neighbour, and it's not wise to do wrong by your neighbour.
6. Support Community Businesses and They Support Us - The well-being of a community benefits when you shop locally. Our area businesses build strong neighbourhoods by sustaining communities, contributing to local charities, supporting sports teams, service clubs, school activities and more.
5. Jobs and Wages - Locally owned businesses create more jobs locally and, in some sectors, provide better wages and benefits than chains do.
4. Preserve Our Character and Prosperity - Sundre is unique. By choosing to support locally owned businesses, you help maintain Sundre's culture and distinctive ambiance.
3. Entrepreneurship - Entrepreneurship fuels Canada's economic innovation and prosperity, and serves as a key means for families to adequately support themselves and in turn be able to give back to the community.
2. Respect Mother Nature - Reduce your environmental footprint and save money at the same time. You're not burning fuel and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
1. More Money STAYS Local - When you purchase at locally owned businesses rather than nationally owned, more money is kept in the community because locally-owned businesses often purchase from other local businesses, service providers and farms.
Purchasing local helps grow other businesses as well as the community tax base, easing our own personal tax commitments.
