Shop Local: How The Things You "Add-To-Cart" Matters

With this year's Christmas season being spent almost entirely at home, our gift shopping moved online too. Whether you planned ahead back in 10.10 or 11.11 or perhaps made your last minute purchases on the same week, our "Add-To-Cart" list likely filled up. The goal is to give our friends and family something useful that will put a smile on their faces. But we can also do that for the makers behind the gifts we buy for the holidays. Giving and receiving local gifts, especially now, means a world of difference for the producers and entrepreneurs. Shopping ethically and locally means you value sustainability and fair trade. This goes beyond the holidays and into our regular shopping habits and intentions. Incorporating these in your purchases may be challenging at first but it is definitely possible! And a lot more impactful than you might think.

       (Image from noissue.co)

A 2015 Nielsen study showed that Filipinos are among the most socially-conscious consumers in the world. Filipinos ranked highest in terms of willingness to pay more to support brands that make an effort for social and environmental causes. In a more recent study, it was revealed that Filipinos seem to be more woke than other Southeast Asians. 94% of those interviewed said that they practice conscious consumption and encourage others to do so as well. It’s now a matter of making these brands accessible to the consumers.

Your consciousness on where your money goes is a start to control the things that affect your purchasing decisions. By supporting the brands that include valuable advocacies in their products and services, you allow these brands to flourish and grow. Here in the Philippines, there are many small businesses that had to adjust their or stop their production due to the pandemic. According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in April, more than half of these MSMEs can no longer sustain their business and had to fully stop their operations. MSMEs play a crucial role in the country’s economy, as it comprises 99.5% of business establishments and employ 63% of the country’s workforce. The United Nations said that the MSME sector is the key to inclusive recovery for the country.

With each purchase you make, you can vote for change and support communities from all over the country. You can be intentional in selecting the brands you support. This will not only affect your lifestyle, but it will ripple to their partner communities and families. Our team at CollaboX is on a mission to connect you to these homegrown brands who uphold ethical practices in their production. Collaborate with us this season to discover ethical local makers.