Why More And More Brits Should Buy From British Companies

The idea of buying locally has been shown to present a series of benefits for both the consumer and the business. According to a 2020 study by Mastercard, 66% of UK shoppers are now more likely to shop in their local communities than they were a year ago. Brits are changing their buying habits in a bid to support local businesses, and there are numerous reasons why. The main one being that the last two years has given us a sense of perspective and we've seen many small companies shut down during the pandemic. So, the call to shop locally has been louder than ever before.

Nevertheless, why else should British consumers buy British goods and support local businesses? Aside from keeping local companies afloat, it can actually bring about some positive reactions. In this post, we're going to explain the key reasons you should buy British.

Combat climate change

Many consumers are buying British products as it can be a way of combatting climate change. It goes without saying that we're in the middle of a climate emergency. Drastic action must be taken to reduce CO2 emissions and improve the environment. Shopping locally can do just that, and there are a couple of main reasons why.

For starters, choosing local companies can help you decrease the mileage travelled for deliveries. If you were to visit your local high street to buy something, rather than ordering from a big online company, you can slash the carbon emissions created by your purchase. Even if you order things to your home from British-based companies, you are still reducing the mileage your product has to travel. Instead of being shipped from across the world to the UK, you're only getting it shipped a few miles.

Secondly, with local businesses, you have more clarity. It's a lot easier to talk to local companies and learn about their supply chain and how they aim to be sustainable. This is particularly important for businesses looking for suppliers - instead of choosing overseas suppliers and clocking up gallons of CO2 per year in shipping, you can purchase your supplies from a company much closer to home.

Stimulate the local economy

Everyone always talks about shopping locally to improve and help the local economy. However, do you really know what this means? What difference does it make to the local economy if you buy from independent shops rather than chain retailers?

According to one study, only 14% of money spent at chain retailers stays in the local economy, while 48% of money spent at locally-owned businesses stays in the local economy. That's a dramatic difference, and it goes to show how much money you can keep in your economy if you are buying local products from local providers.

You also have to consider where your money goes when you buy locally. A local shop owner is more likely to take their profits and invest back in the community. This is typically done indirectly by going to the local pub, eating at local restaurants and so on. In turn, they are supporting other businesses in the area, and you create a cycle where lots of money starts circulating, leading to a thriving economy.

Improved quality & customer service

Another reason to start buying British goods is that local goods tend to be of a higher quality than ones you can buy elsewhere. This is particularly true when purchasing things like food or drink. When you buy from a business close to you, you can know more about their quality control - and you also know that they have to abide by regional and national quality standards. As noted by the Green Business Burea, buying overseas can mean you're left in the dark and could be buying food products that are packed full of chemicals and other additives. Local food doesn't travel far and is, therefore, a lot fresher, hence the quality is much better.

It's not just food that can be provided at a higher quality than foreign businesses. Looking at the world of technology, software companies can provide a much better service if they're based in the UK. For starters, it means that you operate in the same timezone, so there will never be scheduling conflicts. Secondly, you deal with a company that knows all the regulations in the UK and understands the infrastructure better. This all means that the customer service you receive is far better than it would be from an overseas company. Using a UK provider to get chat for websites or any other software can be highly beneficial. You get all the support you need, whenever you need it.

Create more jobs

If you buy British goods from British suppliers, you can have an impact on the job outlook in your local community. Studies show that locally owned businesses employ more people per unit of sales than chain stores. When you spend your money, you're increasing the profits of a local store, allowing them to employ more people.

Again, we can go back to the point about the economy here. By stimulating the economy, you create a place where lots of local businesses are thriving and looking to hire new people. In turn, this makes your area a more desirable place to live, thanks to the rise in job opportunities. It can encourage more people to move there, leading to more local businesses - and possibly more investment in the area as well.

Everything comes together to create a situation where you can't think of any reasons NOT to buy from British companies. You're directly helping the environment by doing so, reducing carbon emissions by cutting down delivery lengths. At the same time, you benefit from fresher and better goods because they are produced closer to home. Your shopping experience improves as well, gaining great customer service from people in your country that work at the same time as you. Of course, this all culminates in stimulating your local economy and creating more jobs. The next time you go to buy something, try to buy British!