What Collegiette doesn’t love to shop? Many of us have our favorite brands and stores, but how many of those stores support the local economy? Shopping at stores like Forever 21 supports national corporations whose sale profits leave the local economy. So while you may be shopping at Governor’s Square Mall, the profits do not stay in Tallahassee, or support the local economy. I am not saying that shopping at big stores like the one previously listed is a bad thing but, if you are looking to change things up and maybe discover a new store or two, you should try shopping local.
One of the beauties of living in a smaller city is the amount of local businesses that are in the area. Tallahassee has such a great variety of local businesses that support one another and help generate local economic growth, instead of sending resources and revenue to large corporations located outside of Tallahassee. All throughout Tallahassee, in each district of the city, there are many different businesses that cater to all different needs and wants.
A recently discovered local business that quickly became a favorite of mine is The Grey Fox. Located on Sixth Avenue in the Midtown District, The Grey Fox is a small boutique that features products from Lilly Pulitzer, Vera Bradley, Pandora, and many other great product lines. The Grey Fox opened back in 2005, and has become a staple boutique in Midtown. They also offer a variety of services like making monogram stickers, and what collegiate female doesn’t love monograms? Also, the monogram stickers are free with purchase of hard top items. The Grey Fox features a variety of products like cell phone cases, planner agendas, purses, stationary, jewelry, and much more. You might be asking yourself, Lilly, Vera, aren’t those big national companies? While they are well known, national companies, they offer retailers the opportunities to buy their goods to sell in the local market at prices set by small business owners. For the Grey Fox, having the Vera Bradley and Lilly Pulitzer fans helps them to promote their own line of goods called The Cottage Collection.
The Grey Fox also features Fair Trade Items. Fair Trade Items are those that are made by artisans who receive fair prices on their products. Fair Trade Items also help to promote “fair labor conditions, direct trade, community development, and environmental stability for people who are often from poverty-stricken nations”. Therefore, the Grey Fox is not only benefitting the local Tallahassee economy, but is also working to promote better conditions for workers around the world.
By shopping local, you can have an impact on your local economy and help your hometown grow, and support your neighbors who are small business owners. By shopping local, we can help change our community for the better.
* Know of a great local business you want featured? Send me an email to hr09e@my.fsu.edu .