Do you buy any essentials from small businesses that you can't get from medium/large businesses?

[Klaralven]

Commentators on our current economic situation often say that "small business is the backbone of our economy"?

This seems to be bogus.

I'm hard pressed to think of any essential purchases that I make from small businesses that I can't make from large ones.

I do buy produce from a small grocer, but I could easily get that from a chain supermarket. On occasion I've hired a local plumber, electrician, or contractor, but that is infrequent.

Most purchases from small businesses either could be bought elsewhere, or they are discretionary purchases of non-essentials.

[Fresh_Start]

1. just prepared meals

chinese food, sushi, pizza

[Aristus]

2. Hand-made artisanal soaps and shampoos.

Smell great, clean well, and I'm supporting a small two-person-owned-and-run business.

[yonder]

4. Same here. We gave up brand names several years ago.

[Happy Hoosier]

3. Restaurants.... and some cooking supplies.

I'm on a keto diet right now, and I do order some Keto-friendly supplies and ingredients from small businesses.

[Progressive dog]

5. I buy a lot of things that aren't essential.

Small businesses employ many people doing non essential stuff. Then there is the essential stuff like home repair (plumbing, roofing, siding, window installations etc.), and maintenance, auto repair, landscaping, and of course the main street businesses.
Small businesses account for 64% of new jobs and 47% of the workforce.
https://advocacy.sba.gov/2019/04/24/small-businesses-drive-job-growth-in-united-states-they-account-for-1-8-million-net-new-jobs-latest-data-show/

[OneBlueDotBama]

6. Hardware....

Get everything from the local, old time hardware store. Don't have to buy screws & other fasteners, prepackaged, Can buy nails by the pound, get expert assistance, we may pay a touch more, but don't have boxes of prepackaged screws etc, that we will never us, so works out to be cheaper in the long run.

[RockRaven]

7. Pre-covid, we did our grocery shopping at small non chain stores. In our neighborhood these

two family run businesses have better produce and better meat than the big chains.

We also frequented an independent bookstore with better selection and more knowledgeable staff than B&N.

We buy paint from the local paint store rather than Home Depot or Lowes. They sell a brand the big stores don't which we like.

When we need something from a hardware store our first stop is the local ACE. They are a cooperative, so each store is a small business. And despite their smaller size they usually have everything, sometimes things that you can't even find at Home Depot.

[dawg]

8. You're missing the point.

They are the backbone of our economy because they employ so many people, not because their products and services can't be obtained from bigger firms.

[Mosby]

13. It's interesting what qualifies as a small business.

Probably not what people assume:

The U.S. Small Business Administration counts companies with as much as $35.5 million in sales and 1,500 employees as "small businesses", depending on the industry. Outside government, companies with less than $7 million in sales and fewer than five hundred employees are widely considered small businesses.

[GusBob]

9. Purchases vs services

My dentist is a small business owner
My physician is a small business owner
My barber, my car mechanic, the pool service, the lawn service, the vet, our computer guy, our housekeeper, our handy man, our plumber, our HVAC guy, our favorite restaurants, etc all small businesses. All on first named basis for years

Some of those are non-essential I admit, but not owned by big corporations

[BusyBeingBest]

10. Essential services--veterinary clinics, pet boarding/grooming, septic tank pumping,

HVAC, garbage pickup, etc. As far as essential goods go, when you live in a small town, that's all you've got sometimes. I've lived in a rural town of 500 and a rural town of 1000, and I have bought my groceries and supplies and hardware locally to save 40/50 mile round trips.

[Klaralven]

17. These do seem to be essentials, as opposed to the many posts about preferences and discretionaries

A small town vet clinic is likely to be a small business, but that industry is being rolled up by national corporations. Just like medical practices, the small business vet/doctor can't afford the overhead of all the technology needed these days. A vet clinic that I'm familiar with was bought by a national chain, but nothing on their web site indicates their ownership.

Mars, Inc. owns over 2000 vet clinics.

https://www.dvm360.com/view/state-veterinary-corporatization

[Tanuki]

11. I am getting all my produce and some other food (cheese, prepared

items like baked goods, jelly, salsa, chicken salad, etc.) from two local organic farms, one of which is also a small co-op outlet for other small farms and producers of small batch artisanals. Not only am I getting excellent fresh products, I can order and pay online and have them bring it out to place in my trunk, no contact, when I arrive. It is a win-win.

[obamanut2012]

12. Just handmade/custom cosplay stuff

Like helmets or armor, but that isn't really what you mean.

I shop a local pet store for my cat's food, because it is oddly the cheapest place for it.

[MineralMan]

14. Small retail businesses make up only a small part of the economy.

Small, service-based businesses are the largest small business sector. We all use those. From restaurants and gas stations to HVAC companies and auto repair, we patronize all of those.

Not only that, but chain businesses are typically represented by smaller franchise owners, so they're small, local businesses, too. Think of U-Haul, for example. While the company is huge, your local U-Haul place is a small franchise operation with local ownership and employees.

If you're only thinking of small brick-and-mortar retail businesses, you're not really talking about small businesses overall.

[GumboYaYa]

15. Shopping only at large businesses seems like a sad soulless existence

that I don't want. I like knowing the people I do business with. I like having my retail dollars go into my community. If I have the option I will go out of my way to shop at a small business.

[GusBob]

20. Yep

Sad, soulless existence, great description

One can get their nails done at Wal-Mart, the car serviced, get a haircut, get an eye exam, do banking, get their meds from the pharmacy

all things designed to put main street out of business

[RobinA]

16. I Buy More

non-essentials from small businesses. It's the essentials that I get from the nearest large business. Specialties, hobby stuff, etc. usually come from small businesses. The only problem I have at times is their hours often aren't great. If the private hardware store near my house had evening hours, they'd lose less of my business to Home Depot. Also restaurants. If anyone remembers them. I avoid chains like the plague if I possibly can.

[Mike 03]

18. No, but like you I do buy items because the quality is better with smaller companies.

Not necessarily "small" but "smaller"

Two examples I can think of.

Tuna from Wild Planet (costs more but is caught sustainably, the old-fashion way)
Almond Butter from Maisie Jane's, a family run company.

I do use our local plumber and HVAC servicer, and landscaper, etc...

So in other words, my experience is the same as yours. It seems to me like by definition "essentials" would be widely and more cheaply available at box stores or via Amazon.

[Raftergirl]

19. I frequent many locally owned small businesses in my town

because it helps keeps our villages’ business districts vibrant places to eat and shop. I don’t see why it matters if I can purchase these things at big box or chain store. I deliberately choose to support locally owned versus big box/chains. I don’t want to live in a ghost town or one where the main street is a string of chain restaurants and stores.

Locally owned book store; coffee/bake shop; butcher shop; gourmet grocer; pizza parlors;pubs; restaurants/cafes, micro breweries (one beer and one a meadery pet store; pharmacy; jewelry store; liquor stores; gift shops; boutique clothing shops; garden nurseries. My H also much prefers to go to the locally owned hardware store.

The wonderful thing is they all offer pay over the phone and curbside pickup. I haven’t been inside any store since the beginning of March.

[Trailrider1951]

21. It's not just the restaurants and cottage industries, but here are some small

businesses that I have in my life:

My employer is a family run business with about 20 employees, including Mom, Dad and 2 of 3 kids. It's a great place to work. We do environmental consulting.
My hair is cut by a lovely young woman who cuts it just the way I like it. I could go to some chain and pay less, but who knows what I would get?
My lawn care is done by a man who owns his own equipment and hauls it around on a well-used trailer behind his ancient Toyota truck.
My favorite grocery chain is entirely employee-owned. I could go to Safeway or Fred Meyer, but I don't.

Let's support our family businesses in our area!

[Kaleva]

22. Barber shop, hairdresser, vet, small town stores, gas, propane, work on vehicle, etc. etc.

I usually buy my gas from a locally owned and independent co-op gas station. my propane from a independent LP gas supplier, work on vehicle is done at a locally owned garage and so on.

[RobinA]

23. I Buy More

non-essentials from small businesses. It's the essentials that I get from the nearest large business. Specialties, hobby stuff, etc. usually come from small businesses. The only problem I have at times is their hours often aren't great. If the private hardware store near my house had evening hours, they'd lose less of my business to Home Depot. Also restaurants. If anyone remembers them. I avoid chains like the plague if I possibly can.