Our Opinion – Looking local in a tightening economy

Like many others,  the team at Local Matters has been looking at how we can best support each other, and the businesses we work with as the economy tightens.

Right now, with grocery and fuel prices shooting up and talk of possible shortages ahead, it’s easy to feel on edge. For some, it brings back memories of those early Covid days, when everything felt uncertain and was changing quickly. There’s no doubt it’s going to be a tough winter for many.

At a recent local network meeting, we started off talking about the practical stuff. What are we doing to prepare? Some were looking at working from home more, cutting down travel, moving meetings online and generally keeping a closer eye on costs.

But what was really interesting was how quickly the conversation shifted.

Instead of just focusing on tightening belts, we started talking about how we can support others in the community as well. Because the reality is, when people start cutting back, it flows through. There is the downside, as cutting spending on eating out or the extras hits local hospitality and retail pretty quickly. However, when you’re trying to cover the basics, there’s often not a lot left over.

So the question became, how do we adapt in a way that helps ease pressure, without making things harder for local businesses?

We’ve been here before. During Covid, we adjusted fast. Meetings went online, dining became takeaway, and a lot of people picked up old skills again – sewing, baking, knitting, making do. We learnt a lot about being flexible.

One of the simplest ideas that came out of the discussion was to look local. What’s already here on the Coast that we might not be using as much as we could?

That could be picking up produce from the farmers market, stopping in at a local café instead of heading further afield, or finding a service provider closer to home. There’s actually a lot on offer if you start looking.

For businesses, it’s also a good time to lean into the support around us. The Whangaparāoa, Silverdale and Ōrewa business associations all have networks and resources that can help, and it makes sense to use them.

At the same time, there are small changes we can all make. Using the car a bit less where possible. Walking or biking for shorter trips. Combining errands. Taking more meetings online. Even thinking about where products come from and how far they’ve travelled.

And then there’s the community side of it. Carpooling, sharing excess fruit from the garden, checking in on neighbours, supporting local groups. These are the kinds of things that make a difference when times are tight.

One thing that stuck with me from the discussion was to focus on what we can actually influence. It’s easy to get stressed worrying about the bigger picture, but there’s a lot we can do at a local level.

There may even be some positives. Slowing down a bit, spending more time locally, being more connected to what’s around us. Sometimes those shifts bring unexpected benefits.

Silverdale Business summed it up nicely with their “be local, support local” message. It feels pretty relevant right now.

So maybe the challenge is a simple one. This week, choose one local business, especially one that’s less reliant on long supply chains, and support them.

It’s a small step, but across a community, those small steps matter.

We’ve done this before. We know how to adapt. And we’re probably better equipped than we think.

Adrienne Kohler, editor