Why shopping locally matters

How we shop has a huge impact on what kind of town we get to live in.

Choose to buy something locally, and your dollars stay here, working to fund jobs, services, and community. Drive into the city—or worse, shop online with an international giant—and that money gets sucked away to someone else.

When you support a locally-owned business—grabbing coffee at a local café, fresh food at the Farmers' Market, supplies from the local hardware store—you’re not just buying something, you're investing in Morinville’s future.

In small towns like ours, dollars don’t just change hands once—they circulate within the local economy. When money circulates in the community, it builds momentum: supporting local jobs, youth teams, infrastructure, and more.

What the numbers say

More than 50¢ of every dollar spent at a local business stays in town (up to 66¢ by some studies).
Around 14¢ stays local when you shop at a national chain.
With online giants like Amazon or Temu? Less than a penny makes its way back into our community.

That money could be paying a neighbour’s wages or sponsoring jerseys for your soccer team (or contributing to building a pool!) When it goes elsewhere, these opportunities vanish.

Why this matters so much for Morinville

According to the Town of Morinville’s 2024 Retail Gap Analysis, Morinville's 'retail trade area' (the Town and surrounding areas) spent around $500 million on goods and services, including health care and automotive goods. But less than 20% of that spending landed in Morinville. The rest 'leaked' away to other centres (mostly to St. Albert and Edmonton) or online.

That’s over 400 million dollars a year not circulating here in town—money that could help our small businesses survive and thrive. Obviously with being a 30 minute drive from one of Canada's biggest cities (Edmonton), and with St. Albert building up its retail area closest to us, Morinville is unlikely to capture even half of that spend. BUT pulling even 10% more would have huge impact.

And that matters a lot when you consider that only about 50% of small businesses survive more than five years. Without real and regular support, new businesses will struggle to succeed and even long-time favourites can give up.

What we know from other 'shop local' studies

We’ve seen proof that supporting local works:

Cash Mobs in St. Albert generated $3,400 in one hour for a single business. The initiative has pumped over $100,000 into the local economy. (Cash Mobs are group events where people go to a business together with the intention of spending money there).
Local First campaigns in rural Alberta showed that dollars spent locally have up to 4.6 times the impact compared to dollars spent in big chains.
Farmers’ Markets show even more bang for your buck. According to the Vancouver Farmers' Market Association, every $1 spent on local food creates up to $2 in economic benefit. That’s a big deal in Alberta, where our growing season is short and every food dollar counts.

What you can do

It isn’t about guilt. Nobody expects anybody to shop anywhere out of obligation. It’s simply about being mindful and aware of the ripple effect of your choices. Even small changes make a difference:

Shop the Morinville Farmers’ Market in the summer
Hit a local restaurant for brunch or dinner
Watch our events page and join a local workshop or attend a trade show
Get your hair done and your car fixed locally
Buy gifts, groceries, tools, building supplies from someone who lives here too

It’s not about shopping local all the time, but it is about doing it when you can (and that's why we're here - to make it easier for you!)

Keep Morinville thriving

Local businesses and non-profits shape the personality of our town. They light up town streets at night, sponsor local festivals and sports teams, donate to the food bank, and remember your name when you come in - which is really kind of nice in this anonymous digital age.

If we want Morinville to stay healthy and become more vibrant, let’s make sure our money reflects that. In a small town like ours, every locally-spent dollar counts twice!