I love it chronic. It shall be done.

Always do mate!

Self employed for over half of my life now (sad) so I always support local & the 'little-guy' in the hope that many will also.

I usually buy all my hardware from the local hardware store. They know me well now, so they give me a decent discount. I only go to Bunnings when there is something the local place doesn't have, or it is at an odd hour.

I think this is one of the last hardware shops in my area, and 3 have closed down within the last few years.

I stay away from Bunnings as I hate having to compete with all the people that take their kids there and make a day of it. I also shop at odd hours to avoid crowds. Did I mention how anti-social I am?

chronic said...

just went to my local hardware store around the corner from me - and he's closing down at the end of the year, a tiny store but been my local for years - bunnings is well 100 times the size but 10 km away- owned by a bunch of corporate shareholders no doubt - who don't sponser my kids local footy team.
so what then, get bunnings to sponser them then? yeh right

so well here's the idea-

let's buy all/some of our christmas presents from small local business's and self employed people for example , your local florist, hardware store !, small market stall holders, bookstore,kite/windsurf shop or cake store selling fine cakes and or chocolates whoever whatever you want to get - just buy it local and buy it from a small business owner not a rich greedy multinational corporation. let's see the money go to individual people, this way more LOCAL people will have a better christmas, and my kids will have their footy team sponser and their trip to Jamberoo water park each year

Perhaps Bunnings might sponsor them if you ask them. Might give them more.

I have never lived in any one place for a long time so I'm not fully understanding the concept of "local". Especialy in a globalising world.

So if I have a corner store on my street and I buy some gear a few blocks away, am I then not supporting my local business?

Maybe I make my purchase in the next town. Am I disappointing the other people in my town?

What if I order gear Interstate, Letting down my own state.

I could import from overseas. Could I then be accused of not supportting my own country?

What if in the future interstellar space travel becomes possible and we deal with extraterestrial commerse. Will people say "Don't buy that intergalactic junk man, keep your money on your own planet".

So where does local begin and end?

A while ago a woman I know came up to me in a supermarket and hassled me out for buying Californian navel oranges when Australian grown ones were available. I told her I like the imported ones better. And besides, the only reason she had a BMW in the parking lot and designer clothes and rings on nearly every finger was because her husband caught lobster and exported them to China.

She didn't understand the point. I think most people don't.