Support Your Local Merchant, or Buy Cheap?

I grew up in the town of Fairfield, Connecticut, which seemed to be a lot more blue collar and down-to-earth when I was a kid (at least compared to the tony town of New Canaan, where I went to high school as the “privileged” son of a New Canaan Public Schools teacher). And off and on as big-box stores come to Fairfield, the “buy local” battle cry has been shouted.

There’s no big boxes opening soon (heck, it lost its Linens N’ Things), but The Connecticut Post says “buy local” is being trumpeted again.

It’s probably too late for a lot of small merchants in this and Anytown, USA.

In a time when worries about job security and finances have seemed to turn into fear, I don’t see the savvy consumer deciding to buy invitations from Fairfield Stationers when they can make a trip to Staples – or head out of town all together to buy them at Target or Walmart – if a few dollars can be saved.

I also don’t see the local government buying its office supplies there when it can get a better deal down the street at Office Max. Heck, Fairfield’s pension fund is a victim of Bernie Madoff’s ponzi scheme.

Loyalty is one thing, but so is survival.

I never heard of Village Hardware, but I’m sure there were better deals at Home Depot. And I’d seen signs for a restaurant called The Flying Dish, but still couldn’t figure out what kind of an eatery it was supposed to be (though on this final carnation of its Web site, it explained its mission and menu a little better). It was also in a poor location (obstructed by a building that included a gas station), and location is still a huge piece of the business equation.

I wish Fairfield well (my parents still live there, as do my nephews), but I can understand if its downtown – and a lot of Anytowns – turn into ghost towns.