I LOVE CALABRIA YOUR COUNTRY WORKSHOP ONLINE
The shops are part of the social history of our cities. We consider them tradition, pieces of our collective and personal memory. We see them suffer trying to keep up with the frenzied development of the giants of large-scale distribution, also facilitated by particular advantageous conditions. For example in the tax area. Conditions that small shops have never had.
The strengths of small shops: Uniqueness, Competence, Ethics.
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Because buying in a small shop means choosing a future in which Small Shops are still present, certainly renovated, equipped with functional eCommerce but still vital for the community.
I Love Calabria is a small town that has chosen to fight the big giants. All products are strictly from Calabrian companies.
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The restaurant is entirely made with recycled and reused materials
In recent decades, neighborhood shops have been put in great difficulty by the expansion of large-scale distribution. And for some years now, all physical stores have been dealing with the large online commerce platforms.
In the meantime, the large distribution chains have created new brands for smaller points of sale, inspired by the concept of neighborhood shop , with which they are also able to be present in cities and historic centres. Given their small size and lower management costs, convenience stores are more resilient and capable of partially adapting the offer to customer needs, also including local and regional products. Dì per Dì (Carrefour) and Cityper (Auchan) are some of these brands, often franchised.
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Beyond the ease of management and the lower investments required, small businesses are also recovering ground on the sales front . Istat data show a trend reversal in November 2016: in the general decline in sales, small shops grew by 1%, retail sales of large-scale distribution by 0.3%. The trend is not yet consolidated, but a certain rediscovery of workshops and specialized shops is emerging.
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Small traders can feed it by focusing on the quality and originality of the products , perhaps at reasonable prices, and making the most of the possibilities offered by new technologies .
BUY ON I LOVE CALABRIA, YOUR ONLINE COUNTRY SHOP
In towns and cities, workshops, markets and shops around the corner contribute to the identity of the neighborhoods and keep them alive. Local commerce offers a service , a garrison , the opportunity to have a chat. And much more!
Benefits for you
1. Artisan quality and freshness
Neighborhood shops and markets often offer very fresh local products of artisanal quality , subject to less processing and transport and consequently richer in nutrients.
2. Shopping on a human scale
You will be able to immerse yourself in a world of colors and scents , avoiding getting lost among the immense and impersonal shelves of large shopping centres.
3. Customized service
The offer is more flexible and able to adapt to customer needs. You can express opinions and requests and get recommendations for new products directly from the owner, often with decades of experience.
4. The shops promote the variety and diversity of products
They are capable of specializing and offering a more diversified offer than hypermarkets , which aiming to attract the greatest number of people tend to flatten the variety of products. Every small shop tends to have a number of suppliers exclusive to its area, so as the number of shops increases so does the variety of offerings.
BUY ON I LOVE CALABRIA, YOUR ONLINE COUNTRY SHOP
BUY ON I LOVE CALABRIA, YOUR ONLINE COUNTRY SHOP
Benefits for the local economy
5. Small shops are more resilient
In times of crisis, small businesses fewer jobs are lost (1.65% less) than the points of sale of large-scale distribution and big brands. And they are able to recover faster as the situation improves.
6. Local companies employ other local companies
Independent businesses run by “local” people they buy 65% of the products and services they need at other local companies , 76% more than in large-scale distribution. They have autonomy in the choice of suppliers, and can select them over time based on what is offered by the territory or on the basis of specific needs.
7. Small businesses keep more resources in the area
Shops and physical stores pay more taxes to local authorities, generating resources to be allocated to services for the community. This happens because they usually have their registered office in the municipalities in which they operate, where they often also own properties, such as a sales point or warehouses. Sometimes they also pay additional concessions for the use of public land or state-owned areas.
Online-only stores own no real estate and therefore pay no property taxes in most areas they serve.
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8. Online-only stores create fewer jobs than brick-and-mortar ones
Locally owned physical stores generate 47 jobs for every 10 million transactions , while the giants of online shopping (Amazon etc. ...) generate only 19 jobs for 10 million transactions.
9. Smaller shops mean more wealth
Small businesses keep more resources in the area . In neighborhood shops not only salaries but also profits remain in place . On the contrary, the proceeds from the large shopping centers always go far away and often abroad, where the owner companies are based.
Where there is a high concentration of locally based businesses usually wages are higher and there is less poverty and unemployment . And perhaps for this reason, the inhabitants tend to stay there, even when they have a high level of education.
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Benefits for your neighborhood or town
“For some I'm the only store available, for others a last minute saver, and for most a supplier of particular products”
The economic and social role of small stores: A review of UK evidence
10. Small shops are a meeting place
They end up becoming a meeting point and a point of reference. They reduce the isolation of those who can't move and offer a service near the house to those who don't want to move. In the city you often don't know your neighbors but you can find familiar faces in the shops, markets and bars.
11. The shops are a garrison
Small businesses patrol the streets and make them safer. They also keep the suburbs of the cities alive , preventing them from turning into dormitories.
12. Small traders finance more sports and cultural activities
The productive activities managed by the residents are more involved in the life of the local community and obviously more inclined to sponsor events and initiatives . They help create supply chains and networks with other players in the area and thus constitute a valuable resource for the development of the local economy.
13. Local shops promote the area and local products
Those who work there spend a lot of time talking to customers: answering questions about products, telling local customers and travelers about the food they sell. It can promote the consumption of more genuine foods and knowledge of local products.
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Benefits for the environment
14. Small local retailers are more environmentally friendly.
The shops and markets are the natural outlet for small local producers , who can hardly support the rules imposed by large retailers. These productions tend to be more sustainable than large monocultures and factory farms. More biodiversity, less use of antibiotics, less environmental , chemical and visual impact.
The transformed products, on the other hand, often come from artisan workshops , sometimes an integral part of the city districts, sometimes a garrison of the countryside. Supporting small producers is important to avoid the abandonment of the countryside and the loss of biodiversity.
Small shops and markets also promote sustainable trade models based on short supply chains. Some counters and points of sale are also managed directly by the producers.
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15. Less packaging and CO2
By reducing the need for transport, CO2 emissions and packaging decrease. This increases road safety for fewer vehicles in circulation and there is less need for high-impact mega storage facilities.