Buying Local Survey: Consumers Care Most About Quality

The buy local movement is making an impact on communities and businesses around the country. According to a report from American Express, there are plenty of different benefits of buying locally. So there are just as many talking points that local businesses and brands can use to attract potential customers in their communities. So how many consumers make a point of buying local when they get the chance? And what factors are most likely to impact those consumers? We asked 1,000 respondents about their thoughts on the buy local movement.

Buying Local

In Ask Your Target Market’s latest online survey, 68% of respondents said that they prefer to buy local whenever possible. And 59% said that they would actually consider paying a bit more for locally made products when they get the chance.

Local Benefits

Whether buying food, drinks and other types of products, consumers cited quality as their most important determining factor when choosing to buy locally made products. In fact, 69% of respondents said that they think they can get access to more high-quality goods if they buy local items. In addition, 84% think that buying local can help the economy. And 73% think that buying local can help the environment.

Consumer Profile

According to Personality Radar, those who said that they prefer buying locally made goods when possible are likely to be established homeowners with strong ties to their community. They’re also likely to be interested in fun experiences but also concerned about things like health and the environment.

Key Takeaways

Local buyers tend to be those who have strong ties to their communities, which makes sense since the majority of consumers see a connection between buying local and economic benefits. However, while most think that there are economic benefits to buying local products, they tend to care more about the benefits for them as the consumer. For that reason, it could be more beneficial for brands that sell local products to call attention to things like quality standards. In addition, reaching local consumers can present another challenge for brands. But including marketing materials in local publications geared toward homeowners and established professionals in the area can be a great place to start.

Photo Credit: Whole Foods sign. by Paul Swansen under CC BY-ND 2.0