The Importance of Local Buying

For those of us old enough to remember quality goods and personal customer service from local shops, it is rather amusing to see the ‘marketing gurus’ of the next generation use the concept as if it were a brand new idea.

The latest craze our supermarkets are championing is the offer of local produce. Maybe they are trying to capture the minority who still buy from independent grocers, butchers and bakers, or maybe we are beginning to recognise the better quality of produce created and sold locally.

Even though I work in a completely different field as a conveyancer, the issue of buying locally is just a relevant. When you sell your house, a lot of the multi-national estate agents refer sellers on to ‘property shops’ to earn either reward or favour.

These ‘shops’ are often located in a totally different part of the UK to where the property is, reliant on computers with a standard processes and have no knowledge or understanding of the seller’s local area. Based on anecdotal evidence I have collected from frustrated clients who come to me after giving up on these shops, the only contact is by telephone and there are often long delays before any action.

By using local services and shops, there is the peace of mind in having some sort of accountability. The people you are buying from are nearby and available to listen to concerns or give information. I think companies are realising that a lot of people still place great value in having a relationship with people they buy from.

In my job our local product is ‘knowledge’ and, like the shops, it is getting harder to offer this commodity, especially with the advent of the internet. When I first saw conveyancing costs being quoted online, I was shocked and assumed they must be heavily subsidised.

However, like airlines who advertise fares that take you to a destination for £1 and omit to tell you the cost of the return flight, online conveyancing prices aren’t always fully comprehensive. Things we do as part of the package (redemption of mortgages, arrange indemnity policies and administration costs) all come as added extras online, so when priced out, it usually costs more.

Because I work for a large firm, we can afford to invest in systems, processes and technology to improve efficiency and be competitive in price, but that wasn’t the same for my local hardware shop. I may have paid a few pence more here and there when I bought my tools and materials, but if I needed just two or three of a particular type of screw, I could get them. Now it has closed down and I have to get to a huge store that you can only buy packs of 20.