Buy Local Even if it Costs More

You know I was raised in a retail country business family.?We hoped for this, but we understood when people needed things they needed them.?We made runs into town as part of our business model twice a week to pick up things for customers who just didn't have the time or sometimes the money) to do that themselves.?If we didn't get the right part we never blamed the customer for it unless it was really their fault.?We tried to stock a lot of low turn rate merchandise that when people needed it they needed it, but sometimes not that often.?It kept them in our stores.?If a customer really wanted something and they took the time to tell us we understood that they appreciated us being there and if we could reasonably stock a small amount for them we would.

Here is the rational preached for "Buy locally even if it costs more!!!"?You are spending money that pays local wages to your neighbors.?Taxes on those businesses (property and sales atleast) fund your community.?It pays for fire and police and roads and schools.?Profits from those businesses gets spent in your community.?The owner buys a house and pays property taxes with it.?Maybe local auto dealers benefit.?Employees spend their wages on houses, cars, other taxes, and groceries in the community.?Its all very idealistic sounding and to a certain degree its true.?

As some of you know I owned a contracting business for a couple decades.?I did maybe 50% alarm systems the first decade, and still 40% alarm systems until I retired from contracting.?I tried very hard to buy locally when I could, but a lot of what I had to have just wasn't available locally.?It also seemed to me that some of the local companies I did try to trade with didn't appreciate that it was less convenient to go to their store than to have it delivered and it cost more.?Add on the parts counter telephone syndrome where you have waited in line behind several other people only to have the counter person answer the phone and spend ten minutes talking when its your turn and its really hard sometimes.?Still I tried really hard to do business with local businesses.?Electrical suppliers, plumbing suppliers, bolt stores, etc, etc.?Personally as well I tried (and still do) to do business locally when I could.?Its not convenient and it does cost more.?

Sometimes its really hard.?I would walk into a motorcycle dealership and see an out of town alarm company decal on their windows.?A boat dealership.?A grocery store.?One boat dealership where I bought two boats didn't have an out of town alarm decal.?It wasn't mine, but it was local.?I did a fair amount of business with them.?I bought two boats and tons of parts from them.?When I walked in the OWNER would help make sure I got the right parts.?I don't think he even liked me, but I got good service and was never made to feel I was imposing on him to spend my money with him.?Another boat dealer with an out of town alarm sticker read me the riot act for buying my Basscat out of town.?He wasn't even in business when I bought it, but he spent his money out of town while yelling at me for getting what I wanted out of town.?He wouldn't even listen when I explained that I tried every local avenue first and just was not able to get what I wanted locally.?

I recall getting this lecture from a car dealer once, and I saw the owner hop in an expensive import that sure wasn't sold here and drive away.?I bought all of my business vehicles for 23 years right here in Yuma.?A couple were private party, but most came from local dealers.?Both new and used.?Most came from one dealer, but I never got asked to even bid any work from them.?Even through two major renovations.?I bought eight trucks from them.?Seven brand new.?"Well, it still benefits the community!!!"?Sure some.?I admit that.?But a lot of that money goes out of town that doesn't need to and I could see it.?It goes both ways or it should.?

In my current machining business I try and tried to buy locally for a lot of things.?I buy some sizes of stainless hardware several hundred pieces at a time.?I used to buy a fair percentage of it locally.?One local bolt store actually has very competitive pricing.?Another doesn't but they seem (on the face of it) to have a lot of stuff.?Elimination of cash payment for small items.?Screwing up or refusing to honor my tax status as a manufacturer.?Promising they have it in stock in distribution and will have it for me on their regular truck on Friday and then not.?(Never even requested.)?Saying they will stock something for me, and then never having it, when I need it... but they can get it for me on the Friday truck ... maybe.?And even though I am not an alarm dealer anymore seeing an out of town alarm decal on their window.?Its hard.?During Covid they made it harder.?Call ahead, pay over the phone, and make an appointment to pick it up.?I called ahead one day and the guy who answered went through all the motions and then I had to ask him twice to find out they didn't have any in stock.?(I don't think he works there anymore at least.)

In another store not that long ago I stopped by because it had new owners.?They were talking about all the money they were going to put into inventory and how responsive they were going to be to customers.?I said, "Okay, these are some items I buy year in year out."?Then I started listing them off.?One of the owners snatched up a notebook and started writing them down.?I was excited.?I thought this was somebody who understands that to sell something to me you have to have something I want.?Then I made the fateful mistake.?I said, "I'd even pay a little more to be able to buy what I want locally.?I mean I won't pay double, but I will pay a little more if you have it."?They frowned, stopped writing and put down the notebook.?I'm not sure what part of willing to buy locally even if it cost a little more pissed them off, but they have never once had a single one of the items I wanted in stock.?I know.?I have stopped by to check.?If they had it I would buy it.?Even if it was a few dollars more.?I'm a person of my word.?I check less and less often, and I think I may just stop checking at all.?

I do try to buy local... if they have what I need.?I do try to buy local even if it costs a little more... as long as they aren't gouging me.?I do buy local sometimes even if they don't have exactly what I want and they are gouging me a little if I can clearly see they are supporting other local businesses themselves.?

At some point I have to say that the time it takes, the extra cost, the lack of exact solutions, sometimes inadequate or just plain lack of service, and seeing that they are not necessarily doing business back and supporting local businesses themselves just quits working for me.?

Most of my aluminum and stainless is delivered to me by truck out of town from Coast Aluminum.?Even including delivery charges it costs less.?A lot less.?I know what the local guys are paying, and I know what the quantity discount is.?They buy it from the same vendor I do.?One typically quotes me 2.5 times my cost (and they pay less than I do due to volume), and the other charges a reasonable margin.?The one that charges a reasonable margin I sometimes buy fill in stock from.?The other almost never.??

My nuts, bolts, fasteners, and misc. hardware mostly comes from MSC or McMaster Carr.?Typically they cost a little more than one of my local bolt vendors and a lot less than the other, but they have exactly what I want, they have a huge inventory, it will ship quickly, and for the most part it will arrive in one or two days.?Not "maybe on Friday's truck" if they remember to order it.?On top of that I spend minutes making the purchase on their website and I can forget about it until it arrives on time to my door with no fuss.?I spend less time on it than I spent waiting in line locally, and I can clearly see that the description matches my needs.?Net cost is significantly less.?Time is money.?

Fishing tackle I mostly buy at Land Big Fish, Tackle Warehouse, direct from manufacturers, or Ebay... well if I don't make it myself.?If I do buy some locally it will be from somebody who either has what I want in stock or I know will appreciate my business and it won't hurt if I can clearly see they go out of their way to support other local businesses.?

If you have a local brick and mortar store and you want me to spend my money with you. Here are some tips.?First and foremost have what I want.?I understand you have to make money on the things you sell, but don't price gouge me.?I get that you may have to buy somethings out of town, but don't have an out of town alarm decal on your window or an out of town dealer's license plate holder on your truck.?Make me feel like you appreciate the fact that I spent my money with you.?Make it easy for me to buy from you.?I will buy locally if its reasonable, if I can, if it doesn't harm me, and if I feel my supporting you is appreciated.?