June 8, 2007
Hunting for ‘Locavores’
There are no hard figures to quantify the numbers of consumers for whom buying local is a big deal. What seems apparent, however, is that a variety of concerns starting with environmental awareness are beginning to put locally produced goods and services on the list of factors consumers consider before making purchasing decisions.
Retailers and multinational consumer product manufacturers are aware of the burgeoning “buy local” movement and, as an article on AdAge.com points out, are paying close attention to the actions of so-called “locavores” (“buy local” proponents) to determine possible responses.
The “buy local” movement, according to the article, is not part of some anti big business campaign with socialist underpinnings. This time there are no calls for boycotts or large public demonstrations. Locavores simply spend according to their shopping values by patronizing hometown establishments and buying products made within a short distance of where they live and work.
Anne Bratz, who works with the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies in San Francisco, said, “We’re kind of giving up on changing big business and instead are focused on taking the business away from it.”
Proponents of the “buy local” movement have a number of studies they point to as reason enough for consumers to change their long distance shopping habits. A favorite statistic included in the AdAge.com report comes from the Andersonville Study of Retail Economics in 2004. It said that for every $100 spent in Chicago, $68 stayed at home if the purchase was made at a local merchant versus just $43 if the sale went to a chain store.
Grocers, even large chains, have been quick to jump on the “buy local” bandwagon with sourcing of products from local manufacturers and farms. Companies such as Wegmans go so far as to use in-store signage to identify the farm where produce was grown and when it was delivered to the store.
Supervalu has been among those promoting its local sourcing programs. Kristen Martin, marketing manager at the company’s Sunflower Market division, told AdAge.com, “It really strikes a chord. The most average customer that you can think of is looking for this. It’s not just a niche market anymore. It’s the customer walking through any grocery store in America today.”
Discussion Questions: What is your analysis of the “buy local” movement? Do you see this as being (becoming) more mainstream? Currently, “buy local” seems to be focused primarily on food. Do you see it being expanded to products beyond food?
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This is a niche need. Except for some local produce (when it is “in season”) it doesn’t seem to truly have any significant impact. The incredible growth of national chains and the Internet defy any substance to this argument. Even the mix which is placed in these stores is global or national in nature and appeals to consumers because it empowers retailers to maximize their logistics and retailing strengths on a large basis in order to offer a broad selection of high-value items. There truly is no great advantage for the majority of items which are offered to the consumer in today’s mass retailer, and even many of the specialty stores (how many people wouldn’t buy an Italian suit because it was being sold outside of Italy?).
I haven’t really seen this as so much of a trend in groceries, but in my community there are a number of people who make a concerted effort to support local small businesses regardless of where the product comes from. The local restaurants usually serves better quality fresher foods than the chains that unload their cartons of soup of the day from a truck. Buying jewelry or clothing from the local boutique gets you unique looks that you don’t find at the mall. The added bonus is that you are doing more to support the community you live in.
I think you will see this trend grow.
Anyone who has been involved in a small or family business can understand the importance of local commerce. Small business is a major economic driver in the US, but it’s not as visible as a large corporate group.
I make an effort to purchase goods from small businesses, including farmers, because I see the direct impact of my spending. It also helps me develop relationships that enable me to understand economic developments in Omaha, NE.
This is the subject of huge debate in the UK and has sort of been hijacked by environmentalists. Back when I started supporting local producers over 20 years ago, my reasons were to do with helping small producers and keeping money within a local area. (The figures quoted are applicable here as well; our high streets are full of chain stores and supermarkets take huge amounts of revenue out of local economies.)
Now, however, even our wonderful government is trying to throw spanners in the works by discounting food miles on the basis that some imported food has a smaller carbon footprint than that which is locally grown. Something of an oversimplified red herring as buying local also means that food doesn’t have to spend as much time in transit therefore can ripen or grow in situ rather than being sent on its way prematurely AND if you combine buying local with buying seasonally then vast amounts of energy are NOT being expended. So even the “saving the planet” argument has to be considered in context.
Those of us wanting to support local producers are often accused of being protectionist for not supporting small producers in far away countries but this is also disingenuous. This is not an either or proposition, there is plenty of opportunity for consumers to buy a range of food from different producers; supporting local food does not always mean never buying anything imported. Similarly, not all local food is good.
One final note–supermarkets here are waving local flags but few are willing to officially define local. Trust me, I’ve asked.
The “buy local” movement is most probably short lived. This is being fostered by the same groups who put Whole Foods in business. It is sustainable only to a certain level. Buying local is becoming more difficult every day as local merchants, whose reason for being seems to be only that they are local, close their doors due to marketing pressure from chain operators. I say marketing pressure because the locals don’t have the overhead cost of a chain and seem to fall short because they don’t market to their customers and potential customers. Additionally, shopping locally means paying high sales taxes incurring gas/transportation cost. The alternative, internet shopping, does away with both of these and saves time in addition to money.
Rather than address the whole subject, I would like to focus on one aspect: climate/topography. Food purchase from local sources is not for every region of North America. Some areas don’t have the proper soil or sufficient irrigation water, while others–as in Canada or the northern US–have an inclement weather which limits the cultivation season. It’s nice if you are in California, but most of us don’t live there–fortunately…unfortunately….
First of all, I LOVE the term–hadn’t heard it before! I think that buying local has some emotional appeal to a subset of shoppers. It probably has more appeal in a tight knit and/or farmer community. I certainly think that this is a retailing initiative (e.g. a separate display area of fresh foods and packaged goods that are local) that is well worth experimenting with.
Buying local is an interesting dialog–one I suspect we’ll hear much more about in coming months and years. Ever since the Time cover story on March 12, “Forget Organic. Eat Local,” the concept has been seeping into hearts and minds.
I see several reasons for this. One is “carbon footprint consciousness”–the insight that every product and human activity exacts a global price in terms of energy use and resultant CO2 emissions. Foods that have been shipped long distances are a good example.
Another is the “Fast Food Nation” complex (AKA the tainted-spinach complex)–a growing awareness that foods produced centrally in large quantities may be subject to large scale contamination risks.
Of course the Organics trend has raised healthy eating awareness among many citizens as well. A rediscovery of locally produced foods is a natural consequence of this phenomenon. Especially among produce items, foods picked riper, shipped closer, and stored shorter are perceived as packing a superior nutritional punch.
But local is nothing new. Living most of my life in the New York suburbs, I recall enjoying Long Island potatoes and summer sweet corn, apples and sharp cheddar from upstate, tomatoes from Jersey, maple syrup from Vermont, Bluepoint Oysters and Peconic Bay scallops. Now that I live in Arizona, where all these foods are hard to find, they seem all the more delectable.
Of the three major drivers of “buy local” cited above, only one is new–at least with regard to food. Supporting local economies and the (perceived) freshness and quality of locally grown food have been with us since the first General Store opened in a farm town. The new wrinkle is the sustainability issue (often referred to as the carbon footprint due to the impact of transportation and storage) and that one is having two major impacts on food purchases. The first is the newly created “locavores” who are inspired purely by the sustainability implications. The second is renewed inspiration of those already predisposed to buy local for the original reasons. It’s a reminder to do what they already consider to be “a good thing to do.” The combined impact promises to be both significant and sustainable–until all the locally grown corn and soybeans wind up in our fuel tanks.
For generations, supermarkets in New Jersey labeled the local produce (Jersey tomatoes, Jersey peaches, etc.). At one point, the NY State Thruway claimed it would set up weekend farmer’s markets at its rest stops, but it seems the program hasn’t been sustained consistently. There’s no doubt that local produce is often preferred, it’s not just a tiny niche market.
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This is a niche need. Except for some local produce (when it is “in season”) it doesn’t seem to truly have any significant impact. The incredible growth of national chains and the Internet defy any substance to this argument. Even the mix which is placed in these stores is global or national in nature and appeals to consumers because it empowers retailers to maximize their logistics and retailing strengths on a large basis in order to offer a broad selection of high-value items. There truly is no great advantage for the majority of items which are offered to the consumer in today’s mass retailer, and even many of the specialty stores (how many people wouldn’t buy an Italian suit because it was being sold outside of Italy?).
I haven’t really seen this as so much of a trend in groceries, but in my community there are a number of people who make a concerted effort to support local small businesses regardless of where the product comes from. The local restaurants usually serves better quality fresher foods than the chains that unload their cartons of soup of the day from a truck. Buying jewelry or clothing from the local boutique gets you unique looks that you don’t find at the mall. The added bonus is that you are doing more to support the community you live in.
I think you will see this trend grow.
Anyone who has been involved in a small or family business can understand the importance of local commerce. Small business is a major economic driver in the US, but it’s not as visible as a large corporate group.
I make an effort to purchase goods from small businesses, including farmers, because I see the direct impact of my spending. It also helps me develop relationships that enable me to understand economic developments in Omaha, NE.
This is the subject of huge debate in the UK and has sort of been hijacked by environmentalists. Back when I started supporting local producers over 20 years ago, my reasons were to do with helping small producers and keeping money within a local area. (The figures quoted are applicable here as well; our high streets are full of chain stores and supermarkets take huge amounts of revenue out of local economies.)
Now, however, even our wonderful government is trying to throw spanners in the works by discounting food miles on the basis that some imported food has a smaller carbon footprint than that which is locally grown. Something of an oversimplified red herring as buying local also means that food doesn’t have to spend as much time in transit therefore can ripen or grow in situ rather than being sent on its way prematurely AND if you combine buying local with buying seasonally then vast amounts of energy are NOT being expended. So even the “saving the planet” argument has to be considered in context.
Those of us wanting to support local producers are often accused of being protectionist for not supporting small producers in far away countries but this is also disingenuous. This is not an either or proposition, there is plenty of opportunity for consumers to buy a range of food from different producers; supporting local food does not always mean never buying anything imported. Similarly, not all local food is good.
One final note–supermarkets here are waving local flags but few are willing to officially define local. Trust me, I’ve asked.
The “buy local” movement is most probably short lived. This is being fostered by the same groups who put Whole Foods in business. It is sustainable only to a certain level. Buying local is becoming more difficult every day as local merchants, whose reason for being seems to be only that they are local, close their doors due to marketing pressure from chain operators. I say marketing pressure because the locals don’t have the overhead cost of a chain and seem to fall short because they don’t market to their customers and potential customers. Additionally, shopping locally means paying high sales taxes incurring gas/transportation cost. The alternative, internet shopping, does away with both of these and saves time in addition to money.
Rather than address the whole subject, I would like to focus on one aspect: climate/topography. Food purchase from local sources is not for every region of North America. Some areas don’t have the proper soil or sufficient irrigation water, while others–as in Canada or the northern US–have an inclement weather which limits the cultivation season. It’s nice if you are in California, but most of us don’t live there–fortunately…unfortunately….
First of all, I LOVE the term–hadn’t heard it before! I think that buying local has some emotional appeal to a subset of shoppers. It probably has more appeal in a tight knit and/or farmer community. I certainly think that this is a retailing initiative (e.g. a separate display area of fresh foods and packaged goods that are local) that is well worth experimenting with.
Buying local is an interesting dialog–one I suspect we’ll hear much more about in coming months and years. Ever since the Time cover story on March 12, “Forget Organic. Eat Local,” the concept has been seeping into hearts and minds.
I see several reasons for this. One is “carbon footprint consciousness”–the insight that every product and human activity exacts a global price in terms of energy use and resultant CO2 emissions. Foods that have been shipped long distances are a good example.
Another is the “Fast Food Nation” complex (AKA the tainted-spinach complex)–a growing awareness that foods produced centrally in large quantities may be subject to large scale contamination risks.
Of course the Organics trend has raised healthy eating awareness among many citizens as well. A rediscovery of locally produced foods is a natural consequence of this phenomenon. Especially among produce items, foods picked riper, shipped closer, and stored shorter are perceived as packing a superior nutritional punch.
But local is nothing new. Living most of my life in the New York suburbs, I recall enjoying Long Island potatoes and summer sweet corn, apples and sharp cheddar from upstate, tomatoes from Jersey, maple syrup from Vermont, Bluepoint Oysters and Peconic Bay scallops. Now that I live in Arizona, where all these foods are hard to find, they seem all the more delectable.
Of the three major drivers of “buy local” cited above, only one is new–at least with regard to food. Supporting local economies and the (perceived) freshness and quality of locally grown food have been with us since the first General Store opened in a farm town. The new wrinkle is the sustainability issue (often referred to as the carbon footprint due to the impact of transportation and storage) and that one is having two major impacts on food purchases. The first is the newly created “locavores” who are inspired purely by the sustainability implications. The second is renewed inspiration of those already predisposed to buy local for the original reasons. It’s a reminder to do what they already consider to be “a good thing to do.” The combined impact promises to be both significant and sustainable–until all the locally grown corn and soybeans wind up in our fuel tanks.
For generations, supermarkets in New Jersey labeled the local produce (Jersey tomatoes, Jersey peaches, etc.). At one point, the NY State Thruway claimed it would set up weekend farmer’s markets at its rest stops, but it seems the program hasn’t been sustained consistently. There’s no doubt that local produce is often preferred, it’s not just a tiny niche market.