Parker Live News from the Parker Strip since 2009.
The Parker Area Chamber of Commerce is urging citizens and visitors in the Parker area to “Shop Local!”
If you’re planning a big last-minute shopping trip out of town this week, or planning on taking advantage of those after-Christmas sales events, look at your list and think about the items that you can obtain right here in Parker. Every dollar spent here benefits everybody!
When you travel to Phoenix or Lake Havasu City, those communities benefit from the tax revenue and the people in those communities benefit because a percentage of what you spend stays in that community, and none of it benefits Parker or La Paz County. The same formula applies to shopping on the internet. If you buy from an internet retailer from outside of Arizona, no revenue is generated that directly impacts your community or your state.
The non-profit organization Local Arizona First says:
- When you shop locally owned businesses, your money is recirculated over and over and creates up to 75% more tax revenue to our community and state.
- Independent businesses raise the standard of living in our community because they take their profits and buy products and services from other local businesses, thus creating more and more tax revenues needed for the community to thrive.
- Independent businesses are unique enterprises that contribute to the character of our community by offering a more diverse selection of goods and services.
- Independent businesses provide meaningful service with a personal touch. It matters to them that you are satisfied and will come back again.
You can make a difference with a few simple steps:
- Make a decision to find and patronize a locally owned business, wherever possible.
- When you shop online with out-of-state companies, it doesn’t contribute a dime to the local economy. So check for members who offer the same products, and some even deliver.
- Use our Chamber Business Directory to locate businesses offering specific goods or services, or you can view a complete list of chamber member businesses and the categories in which they are listed in the “Business Directory” located at our internet website at www.parkeraz.org.
- Patronize local merchants who add value. A great example is Painter’s Warehouse in Parker. Although the price may be slightly higher than you would pay at Home Depot or a big box store, Chuck Watson at Painter’s Warehouse offers a level of expertise and knowledge that you’ll rarely see anywhere else. That added value easily justifies buying your paint supplies locally, and the money you spend stays in the community.
- Pay by cash or check whenever possible. Many local merchants struggle to eke out a profit and their profit margins are already low so they can compete with the big retailers. Merchants pay fees on credit and debit card transactions which may eat into their bottom line.
- Shop Chamber member businesses whenever possible. Although all local spending is good for the community in the form of tax revenue and employee salaries, shopping at chamber member businesses supports this organization, which in turn supports the business community. Most of the corporate retail stores in Parker are NOT chamber members, which is another good reason to shop locally-owned and operated businesses. Wal Mart, Bashas and Radio Shack are a few notable exceptions because they are members of the chamber, which means they actively support the Parker business community and they are good corporate citizens.
- Tell your associates, family, and friends about the benefits of shopping locally. Let’s create a strong and vibrant business community!
Every time you make a purchase, you’re exercising power of choice. The choice is yours. You have the power to strengthen and enrich our community by shopping locally
A way that businesses can help is to practice what we preach–use local vendors and suppliers whenever possible.
So before you head out of town to shop, think about the impact on the community you live in. Surely there are some things on that Christmas list that you can buy locally!
Merchants and restaurants who would like to participate in our very first “Parker Black Friday“ on December 19, 2014 just need to contact our office by December 12th with your specials for that day. We will promote your specials on our Chamber and Tourism Facebook Pages, Twitter and other media.
