back to the original hypothesis, I would think that many of us would support local retailers within certain criteria:
- local product support
- genuine interest and expertise in their particular idiom (be it restaurant, sport, entertainment)
- supports local community
If internet retailers do this as well, then I would be happy to patronize them as well. Rick's site is a good example of that.
Several of the boat dealers are prime examples of this as well, supporting the sailing community by hosting regattas, sponsoring teams, etc. I don't know of many boat manufacturers that do this directly, so it stands to reason that the dealers absorb those overhead costs, and some of that is buried in the prices I pay from them
I try to patronize locally owned/operated restaurants in the off-tourist season (I stay home during season - it's ridiculous), and will pay a certain amount extra to local sailing/dive/shooting/alcohol/topless shops to encourage community activity and support.
First job out of college was selling sporting goods and team uniforms to high schools and colleges... great job.
Had one client that would always ask for a sizable donation to support the program, but always took his business to a dealer that was Northern CA to save a few bucks. After two years of this I polity told him to pound sand and that unless he supported us we couldn’t support him. He made a big stink about this to the Athletic Director and was telling the other coaches not to buy from us because of that. They really didn't care what he said anyway because they knew what kind of a weasel he was. One year I get a call from him, the dealer dropped the ball (pun) and couldn't deliver the game uniforms in time for picture day and the kids were real upset because they were buying the jerseys. Even though we had the cut and sew plant local and could deliver the stuff and have made me a shinning star I chose not to do it, and I let him know that. Eventually the AD got with me and asked me to
help him out after getting some heat from the parents which we did and at a discounted price!
The next year I got all the business from this individual not because of this, but because the company he was buying from went out of business by being a Me-Too- Price- Buster.
Support you local business or those that are supporting your (insert activity) if you can! They may be a little more; and that is a hard pill to swallow in these economic times, but in the long run it is a better proposition.
