Finding a Voice
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Loyalty Rewards
Last weekend I needed to buy gasoline, so considered pushing the tank until my trip to Regina on Sunday afternoon: I like to collect Aeroplan miles at Esso. But my conscience nudged me to stop at Digger's instead, Strasbourg's gas station, and the only one for about 50 km in either direction. Suddenly it hit me: Digger's may not give travel miles or product points, but there's a huge loyalty reward in buying local: it helps them stay in the community. The Diggers owners attend our church, so I mentioned this to them. It was good timing--they were a bit frustrated at people complaining about the price of gas.
The same "buy local" principle applies to other businesses, like grocery stores, credit unions, co-ops, hardware, building supplies, contractors, stationery and computer supplies, etc., etc. If they're actually doing good business (not just taking advantage of rural isolation), then our business is their reward. And by doing business with them, we cash in on the loyalty reward: keeping them local and viable. Sure their prices might be equal to or higher than big box-store costs, but they can't get the same volume discounts as big stores. And really, considering that we don't have to drive and park in the city and figure the price of gas, we may find we are saving in other ways, too.
I'm doing a project for the Last Mountain Times, the newspaper I work for. The project will be to use Wendell Berry's rules for sustainable local community as a conversation starter with local businesses, asking them which principles they're already practising, which ones they see other people using, which ones they want to see more of, etc., etc. Based on those conversations I (and possibly another staff member) will develop a series of articles profiling local businesses, emphasizing the kinds of things Berry promotes. This is the week to develop the project and next week to launch it. Looking forward to finding out more about how people think, and helping our communities ponder why and how we do what we do with and for our neighbours.
Books, DVD's, gadgets, music and more. Shop online with Sympatico / MSN Shopping today!
The same "buy local" principle applies to other businesses, like grocery stores, credit unions, co-ops, hardware, building supplies, contractors, stationery and computer supplies, etc., etc. If they're actually doing good business (not just taking advantage of rural isolation), then our business is their reward. And by doing business with them, we cash in on the loyalty reward: keeping them local and viable. Sure their prices might be equal to or higher than big box-store costs, but they can't get the same volume discounts as big stores. And really, considering that we don't have to drive and park in the city and figure the price of gas, we may find we are saving in other ways, too.
I'm doing a project for the Last Mountain Times, the newspaper I work for. The project will be to use Wendell Berry's rules for sustainable local community as a conversation starter with local businesses, asking them which principles they're already practising, which ones they see other people using, which ones they want to see more of, etc., etc. Based on those conversations I (and possibly another staff member) will develop a series of articles profiling local businesses, emphasizing the kinds of things Berry promotes. This is the week to develop the project and next week to launch it. Looking forward to finding out more about how people think, and helping our communities ponder why and how we do what we do with and for our neighbours.
Books, DVD's, gadgets, music and more. Shop online with Sympatico / MSN Shopping today!
posted by Colleen McCubbin at 12:04 AM
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