Why Buy Indie?
A while back I was stumbling around the Internet when I found the original Buyindie web site that I put up in September 2004. In it I made a plea to people to support local places of business:
By buying products from an independent retailer you are helping close the gap between the producer and the consumer (you). The major distributors (chains) will have less influence and this will result in more competition and more local employment.
I still believe that. However I do want to clarify that buying indie is not a religion or something that must be pursued every day without fail. There are actually some things that I would never buy from an independent provider. I would never purchase nutritional supplements made by a Mom & Pop shop for instance. Nor would I be comfortable buying a car produced by a two person operation. And you can bet nobody would fly "Vince's Airline o' Fun". It's just not possible to be all indie all the time. And that's ok!
But other than the items mentioned above, I can't think of anything else I wouldn't buy from an independent operation. I get my groceries from the Farmer's Market (straight from the producer!), thanks to federal guarantees I have no qualms putting my money in an independent bank, and there's not much doubt about books, housewares, or food establishments. So why don't more people by from independent places?
The biggest reason is consistency. Chains of all sorts set standards for the way that their product is produced, presented, distributed, and priced. That means that you, the consumer, know pretty much exactly what you're getting when you walk into a Subway, Blockbuster, Target, or Golds Gym. If people are in a strange place and have an hour to eat and get back to a conference, most will choose the Subway over Annabelle's Diner. Because they know exactly what they'll get with Subway.. they know what to order, how much it will cost, how long it will take, and what they will get in exchange. All of which is pretty much unknown at Annabelle's.
BuyIndie is trying to fix that in a way. It's ambitious, but I hope that when this site is done it will be a good resource for you to decide ahead of time whether an independent retailer or restaurant is worth your time, attention, and money. Most of them are, but it's important to set expectations since they vary so much from place to place.
Wait, I don't want to imply here that having independent places vary so much is a bad thing! It's actually a great thing. Who can window shop for hours on end along that cute little neighborhood street in New York looking upon shops that are exactly the same? Same awning, same products, same uniforms, same everything. Bleh. Would a place like that even be worth going to? Not in my opinion. It's the little quirks, the things that make stores different, that also make them great to patronize. These independent establishments are the ones that give our neighborhoods a unique feel and make our town or city worth visiting!
Take a minute today and look around the neighborhood you live in. Is there a store you've been meaning to try but haven't? Is there a place that you love and want to stay in business? Share it with us here and let us all give some feedback. While it may seem bad to say mean things about these stores, at the end of the day we want them to succeed and flourish. If our criticisms or compliments are given in a constructive manner then the owners will get the message and may correct or continue those practices. They'll stay in business, offer you a friendly face when you walk in, create valuable employment opportunities, and give your neighborhood it's own special vibe. And that makes all of us winners in the end.
-Vince Wadhwani
(a bit about Vince)
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