Jim Sajdak
President/CEO
Stan’s Fit For Your Feet
Brookfield, Glendale and Greenfield
Milwaukee-area shoe store Stan’s Fit For Your Feet, which has locations in Brookfield, Glendale and Greenfield, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Jim Sajdak president and chief executive officer of the company, says consumers who buy local provide a tremendous benefit for the local economy.
When you buy something online, do you know where it is coming from, and who is being paid to pull it from the shelves and ship it to you? Most likely not. Likewise, if you purchase an item from a big-box store, what do you know how it arrived in your community?
However, if you walk into a locally owned business, chances are you may know the owners or workers and have some sort of tie to them or their merchandise.
According to www.OurMilwaukee.net, for every $1 spent at a locally-owned business, more than 68 cents, versus 43 cents spent at a national chain, remains in Milwaukee.
Local small businesses provide 250 percent more support to nonprofit organizations than large businesses. They also keep our community unique by providing more one-of-a-kind products and/or services.
For example, at Stan’s Fit For Your Feet, we still take the time to measure all of our customers’ feet and provide them a custom fit. This kind of service has become a rarity in today’s world.
Shopping local also reduces the environmental impact, because it requires less transportation and it creates more local labor opportunities.
The City of San Francisco conducted a study that found if only 10 percent of their residential spending was redirected toward local businesses, it would boost their local economy $192 million. That’s huge!
Sure, buying online and from big-box chains might be convenient, but what is the long-term impact of it on our community? What are you doing to ensure our local economy’s success? How much are you supporting local merchants? We all have a responsibility to help keep our local economy vibrant.
Our country was built on the success of local businesses. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that right around the corner is a business that needs our support to thrive.
