For every local purchase there's a local purpose.
Our mission is to increase awareness of how shopping locally creates economic growth in the Marshall community.
Community Benefits of Shopping Local
Top Reasons to Shop Local
Everyone benefits when people shop locally and your community thrives!
Money Spent Here, Stays Here
Retail dollars spent locally continue to circulate throughout our community. If local residents commit to spending just more of the dollars they currently spend out of town, in town, it will add millions to our local economy.
Local Business Owners Invest in Our Community
They are owned by people who live and work in our community, raising their families and investing in our community’s future. They support our churches, our schools, our organizations, our way of life.
Better Variety
Local businesses provide a wide variety of products and services, right here in our community. Many of these are “one-of-a-kind” businesses that provide our community with its own distinct character. The more people shop here, the more products and services will be available.
Friends and Neighbors
Local businesses are staffed by local residents, your friends and neighbors. You get better service from people you know and who know you. And you can catch up on “what’s new” with other customers as you shop.
Green Friendly
Shopping at local businesses reduces gas consumption, pollution and our dependence on foreign oil. It also reduces vehicle maintenance costs. In many cases, you can even walk!
Convenience = Savings
Shopping locally saves time and money. A shopping trip to another community costs you nearly 50 cents per mile, each way, and valuable time away from your home. Pocket the savings and treat your family to a night on the town!
Jobs and Wages
When you buy locally, you help provide job opportunities. Area businesses employ about 13,000 people and have a collective payroll of more than $400 million. Many of those jobs are in the retail sector. Doing business with these stores helps them hire and retain employees (your friends and neighbors)!
Non-Profits Receive Greater Support
Non-profit organizations receive greater support from local business owners due to the ability for them to operate successful profitable businesses thanks to you spending money locally.
Stronger Tax Base
In Minnesota, business property owners are taxed at a much higher rate than other property owners. Those tax dollars are used locally to improve our community’s streets, parks, schools, etc. As we add businesses, we strengthen our tax base, providing more dollars for community development while reducing the tax burden on homeowners.