The cost of festivities in Scotland and the UK at this time of year can be completely overwhelming.
We are all under massive pressure to make sure this time is special. This pressure comes in many forms, whether that be spending time with family and feeling emotional pulls to be in several places, forced social environments which aren’t always easy, or the expectation to buy lots of exciting gifts or to splash out on loads of food and drink. And let’s not forget the late nights, hangovers and losing the health routines…
Now this all sounds like I don’t like Christmas and New Year. Well, I do, but it has taken many years to find the right balance between spending quality time, without over doing it, and to reframe this time of year as being restorative, a time when the world slows down, the shop isn’t open and we can all chill.
There is another angle to this time too, which is that both my kids and my husband all have their birthdays by 11th January. So, in our house it’s not just the Christmas festivities, it’s the birthday season too. Double gift ideas for them all...
I remember growing up in the 80s when birthday and Christmas gifts in our family were quite practical; things you needed, like clothing, or a bike. There were never any wasteful gifts, albeit I didn’t always like what I got! But the major difference is that the volume of stuff you can buy now just didn’t exist back then, from silly gimmicky stuff through to the scores of fashion, accessories, electronics, homewares and art now available.
There are so many amazing gifts on offer from the fun to the practical; and let’s face it, it is really nice to be able to gift something to someone, especially if they love it.
However ostentatious, luxurious, sustainable and/or practical we want to be, we do have the choice of so many local shops selling amazing gifts. And this is where you can make your money really matter. Because buying local makes a difference.
So many of you know this already, but spending your money locally does so much for your local community. By supporting your local high street, you are enabling local jobs, keeping your community looking good with occupied spaces not derelict shop fronts, and keeping money in your community where it circulates. And for some of us, we have a wider social and environmental mission which take this impact even further.
There is an uncomfortable truth that any of the money we spend in the big retailers and brands doesn’t really do anything significant for your local community. Yes, they do provide jobs, and some supermarkets offer funds for community work, but this is a drop in the ocean of the money they are extracting from your community.
When we talk to policy makers and people in decision making positions, we talk about the Glasgow pound and how we need to keep that money flowing around Glasgow, growing our communities, jobs, community wealth and wellbeing. But if you spend that pound with an international conglomerate, your hard earned money ends up paying dividends to a shareholder, who buys a yacht in the Bahamas. Glasgow will never see that money again!
To be honest – this is the second uncomfortable truth – convenience can dominate our consumer decisions. Making the extra effort to buy local, when we are all so busy, seems like too much to manage. Buying everything from the same place or online seems to be the predominant way for most folk.
But what our communities need are more thoughtful purchases, from local businesses.
We have had our Nithsdale Street shop for 2 years. It’s been an exciting year, building our gorgeous space, and our customers love it and keep coming back. But we need more people shopping with us, whether that is in person in store, in our warehouse, or online.
If everyone thought local before they hit up the big shops, then our high streets would be thriving. Every shop owner I have got to know in the last 2 years says the same thing: Every Sale Matters.
So, my festive message is to shop local first, share your experiences, put power behind your purchase, slow the flow of money out of your community, and support the people who are supporting you.
Thanks so much for reading – and happy Christmas!
Izzie x