Shop Local - Why is it important?

BodySense is proud to have been a part of the downtown Dundas community for over 11 years now! We love the cozy downtown feel, and we love being apart of the local community of small businesses around us. There is so much good that comes from shopping locally and supporting small businesses. While online shopping is convenient, there are many drawbacks and adverse effects that come from it. We're going to share the top reasons why you should shop local and avoid online shopping whenever possible. 

Why is shopping local so great?

It supports the local economy.

Buying from, and therefore supporting, businesses in your town allows you to put money directly into the local economy instead of another country. Doing so means that workers in your very own town can keep their jobs, are paid fair wages, and then will put even more money back into the local economy.

When you shop at BodySense, you're not only supporting local by supporting BodySense itself; you're also supporting numerous other small and local businesses. We strive to carry Canadian products as possible. Each time you buy a hand-crafted product, you're supporting a dream, an entrepreneur, a family, and SO much more.

You get better customer service.

Shopping at small local businesses means that most of the time, you get far better customer service than when you shop at a big-name corporation with staff members who often don't care to provide a high level of service.

When you shop locally, you get to know the workers at different establishments, which means they get to know you too! Shopping regularly at a local store means that the staff members know what products you prefer to help serve you better. How great does it feel to walk into an establishment and be greeted by a smile and somebody who knows your name? It feels personal, builds community, and adds to your overall shopping experience.

Small businesses support other small businesses.

Local business owners often feel the incentive to support other local businesses for both business and personal reasons. Chain businesses tend to get their supplies from big corporations. In this type of situation, relationships are not built and "the little guys" are often overlooked.

We here at BodySense love to support other businesses in Dundas, too, and the Dundas community is genuinely fantastic at helping each other and building community and fostering relationships.

It keeps your community special and unique.

Supporting local shops helps the community thrive, and it fosters its uniqueness! For example, Dundas is known for delicious food, health-conscious and eco-friendly shops, boutiques, clothing shops, consignment shops, and more. Not to mention the fantastic summer festivals!!!

Supporting these local businesses means that they can keep their doors open, which keeps the town filled with small and unique shops, instead of corporations and big department stores that lack individuality and charm.

The ugly truth about online shopping:

Online shopping often supports cheap, mass-produced goods.

One of the biggest reasons people shop online is that they can often get a good deal on products. Have you ever wondered why items online tend to be so inexpensive?

Goods purchased online often tend to be made of cheap materials, and they're often mass-produced in countries such as China. Remember also that many items produced in other countries may have been made using child labour or by workers who work in unsafe conditions that aren't paid fair wages.

Supporting locally made goods is incomparable because they are often hand-made, made with care using good-quality materials, and you are paying for a product that will last a long time.

If you wonder why the costs of products in your local shops are more expensive, it's often because small retailers can't keep up with online shopping, which drives prices up. The more that a small business thrives, the more they can keep costs low!

You don't get to inspect the product until it arrives.

How many times have you received an online purchase only to find out it wasn't exactly as promised? Perhaps the quality not as good as claimed, or the product doesn't look as it appeared in the photo?

Purchasing products in-store and inspecting them in person means you don't ever have to regret making a purchase!

Lack of customer service.

Shopping online often means a lack of customer service. If you have an issue with a product or order, resolving issues can sometimes be challenging and time-consuming. Problem-solving face-to-face with employees can be far more effective and rewarding.

When you shop local, everybody wins!

In the end, shopping locally has far more pros than cons. If you can make an effort to shop in local stores more frequently than shopping online, everybody wins. You can make a real difference in the world!

From our hearts to yours, we thank you so much for supporting BodySense and supporting small businesses! All of our staff are grateful for every connection we've made with our incredible customers, and we thank you for keeping business in Dundas alive and supporting Canadian-made goods.