Could Covid-19 change shopping habits forever? When families could not shop online with a large supermarket chain during lockdown (due to there being no delivery slots available for weeks), many came across independent food suppliers. One of these suppliers was operating out of New Covent Garden and they supplied food the next day, with no delivery charge. As demonstrated through Covid-19, there is a logic in shopping local, and here’s five reasons it should become the norm:

 

Flexibility

With lots of people working from home, a local café-restaurant, The Patio, quickly increased its takeaway service. It’s busier than ever, with many local teachers and residents returning as regular lunch customers for takeaways and Covid-safe indoor eating. Another café-restaurant is selling fruit, vegetables and bread and when supermarkets ran out of flour, it was the local retailers where it became available.

 

Local jobs

Due to the economic impact of a pandemic, many UK jobs have disappeared. In times like these, whilst bigger supermarket chains may be able to financially support themselves, local businesses may not have this financial luxury. Spending money locally will have a positive effect on the local economy. Local employers are often loyal to staff, and likely to employ people like you and me (and, in some cases, even offer better working conditions).

 

Relationships

Local shopkeepers cherish their customers; if there’s something you like, they will often try and find it for you. It is also good for people to see a thriving local scene in times like these. Simon Greig, Wimbledon Village Market Owner, told This Is Local London: “When we first re-opened it wasn’t very busy, but I still had to limit the amount of visitors to 20 at a time. However, those that did come along often expressed gratitude and relief and were more than happy to queue responsibly and wait their turn to enter. I’d regularly hear visitors saying to one another that the reopening of the market was a positive sign of normality returning to their lives. I suppose it represented hope and a brighter future or maybe that the worst was behind us.”

 

Climate change

Shopping local means less car use, parking and traffic, which means less fossil fuel emissions being released into the air. Similarly, buying locally means locally sourced produce instead of produce sourced from other countries, which would have required immense amounts of fuel to transport it. Plastic packaging is also more typical within supermarkets. This is often not recyclable, takes a long time to decompose, and smaller pieces can often be ingested by marine life. 

 

Independent traders

In the UK, especially London, there’s a strong mix of cultures and diversity. There is a Turkish kebab shop, an Indian restaurant, a Chinese takeaway, an Italian/Middle Eastern café/restaurant all situated on the same road. None of these have (yet) closed down during Covid-19, and hopefully this will remain the case for years to come.