BIA, Chamber of Commerce highlights importance of shopping local

As we head into the final stretch of the holiday shopping rush, two Stratford business organizations are reminding residents of the importance of shopping locally while also shining a light on the uncertainty that area business owners are facing while navigating the federal government’s “tax holiday.”

Article content

Article content

Recommended Videos

Article content

For Jamie Pritchard, manager of the Downtown Stratford Business Improvement Area (BIA), the need for shopping locally goes beyond just supporting these businesses since that support, in turn, bolsters the wider community. Tea Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses estimates that roughly 66 centers from every $1 spent a local business stays within the community, Pritchard noted.

“When you compare that to the bigger chain stores and things like that, only $0.11 stays within each of the communities,” the BIA boss said. “(Local businesses) also give more money to charities and support local events. Their kids go to school here, and so they really help out a lot of things going on.”

There is also added benefits for Stratfordites who shop from local businesses, including better customer service, Pritchard added.

Article content

“You get more knowledgeable employees. I mean, when you go into one of the big box stores and try to find something, you don’t always get people who know what they’re talking about. Whereas when you go into a small business, there’s a good chance that you’re dealing with the owner of the business or the manager of the business. They have a vested interest in you because they can help take care of you and get things done, so, it behooves us to help take care of them,” he said.

Aaron Martin, general manager of the Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce, echoed that sentiment.

“I think it’s also better for the consumer on their part when it does come down to it because they’re actually getting a better service. So let’s say you buy a product and it’s terrible with a big box store, you’re just a number to them. When it is that person that’s down the street – the street that has that local connection, generally – you’re going to be served better with getting that fixed, or anything along those lines. Or if it’s a service that they’re offering, they’re there for the community,” he said.

Article content

However, as we creep closer to the heart of the holiday season, local businesses are also grappling with the federal government’s two-month tax holiday, which makes certain purchases, including food at restaurants, some alcoholic beverages and toys, exempt from the GST/ HST until Feb. 15. This is a double-edged sword, Martin said, because many shoppers waited until the tax reprieve went into effect to do their Christmas shopping.

While it may help spur spending, many businesses are having challenges keeping up with the changes, Martin added.

“It’s been a huge headache as well when it comes to some of the businesses, as they had to rework their point-of-sale systems as well, depending on what they’re selling. Kind of going through each item and going, ‘Hey, does this qualify? Does that not qualify?’ . . . So you don’t want to all of a sudden have to shell out more money for taxes because they misinterpreted something wrong,” he said.

Article content

The federal government, Martin noted, has made an effort to clarify what items qualify for the tax exemption.

Pritchard said some local businesses saw a pattern where a few customers returned purchased items and then asked that business to hold them until the tax holiday came into effect. Businesses are also incurring some tax holiday-related costs during the holiday rush, and will once again incur costs in February when the program ends, Pritchard said.

“This is going to cause a lot more work for small businesses, which is not appreciated during an already busy and stressful holiday season,” he said.

As business owners navigate these temporary changes, Pritchard is encouraging Stratford residents to take advantage of the BIA’s Downtown Dollars as one way to support local businesses. There are several advantages to these Downtown Dollars, said Pritchard, noting they can help rein in spending for shoppers with several people to buy.

“(If I) plan to buy 10 people something, and want to get them $50 each, I know exactly what my spending is going to be. I’m not out shopping and buying things that end up adding up to a lot more. You can control your spending,” he said.

The BIA is also reminding participating residents to fill out their Downtown Winter Wander-land Shop & Dine Passports and to return them to 47 Downie St. by 5 pm on Dec. 23 for a chance to win in prizes of $250, $150 or $100 in Downtown Dollars.

[email protected]

Article content