You can’t buy love, but you can buy local

E-commerce stats and love don’t typically mix.

But maybe they should.

The average value of an online shopping order across the U.S. is around $139. That’s according to Statista, a company that specializes in market and consumer data.

Another couple of stats: The average U.S. household makes at least one online purchase per month, or conservatively 12 online buys per year.

Run the math: Each of our families spent an average of $1,668 online last year.

And there are a combined 38,415 family units, or households, in our Quad Cities alone — that’s Pullman, Clarkston/Asotin, Moscow and Lewiston — according to the latest U.S. Census.

Run the math, again: That represents $64,076,220 in annual, local online shopping that we collectively zapped off to Amazon and other online retailers last year.

And that doesn’t include the thousands of homes, and additional dollars, from our neighboring communities up the river, and across the Palouse and Prairie.

What if each of us did our best to share just one of our family’s 12-plus online buys in 2022 with a local business?

In the Quad Cities alone, that would equate to $5,339,685 more dollars staying in our towns rather than being exported to Amazon and beyond.

And you can triple that to $15 million, too, with community economic studies showing every dollar spent locally slingshots threefold across our towns and keeps our economy strong.

Studies also show that communities with active buy local campaigns — such as our Made By Us, now launching into its fourth year — can help lift local buying by 276%.

And our region’s buy local campaign — produced by the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Studio 1892 — wouldn’t be possible without our 11 partners.

Here’s what a few of them have to say:

Lewis-Clark State College President Cynthia Pemberton: “The pandemic laid bare many realities, not the least of which is how much we matter to each other.

“Being local, thinking local, buying local are ways we express our commitment to our community and each other. So, when you can ... buy local, because it makes a difference and we matter to us.”

Valley Vision President and CEO Scott Corbitt: “Support for local businesses has never been more important.

“True economic development means keeping the money we spend in the Valley. Buying local supports our future and builds a great foundation for what comes next.”

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories founder, President and Chief Technology Officer Ed Schweitzer: “Buying local matters.

“We are blessed to be part of a community that is a great place to live, work and raise a family.

“Our community is filled with hard-working individuals and tremendous natural resources of all kinds.

“When we buy close to home, we benefit from high-quality, dependable products and expertise and we celebrate American innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Buying local is a way to honor our neighbors and support an environment where we can thrive and prosper.”

Tri-State Memorial Hospital, Director of Marketing and Communications Rebecca Mann: “As your only nonprofit, community-owned and -operated hospital in the valley, Tri-State supports local businesses to expand economic growth for the Lewis-Clark Valley.

“Buying local, ensures your dollars are put back into our community.”

Inland Cellular Executive Vice President Chip Damato: “Supporting Regional Business creates jobs, puts money back into community programs that are the lifeline of our communities, supports families who then continue to support additional business and organizations that are vital to our communities to prosper.

“Without local support of business and organizations that have a vested interest in the development and future of our communities it’s difficult to maintain that quality of life we all want for our families and friends.

“Our employees and families are all part of that development and future. You can count on us.”

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Look inside today’s paper for your “Buy Local!!” stickers.

Place it on your laptop, water bottle or back window of your car as a reminder to think local first.

And together, let’s help our local businesses reemerge from the pandemic, build community and help push back against the pressures of online buying.

Alford is editor and publisher of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News and the Lewiston Tribune. He can be reached at (208) 848-2208, or by email at alford@lmtribune.com.

Made By Us was designed to raise awareness about spending as many of our hard-earned dollars as possible in our local communities, supporting the businesses in the cities and towns where we live, work and play.

These same businesses pay taxes that fund our police and fire departments, maintain and enhance our infrastructure, and support our local school districts. They also sponsor myriad youth programs, as well as the nonprofits that play crucial support roles in our region.

And their employees often volunteer for causes that benefit people from all walks of life.

The sponsors making the 2022-23 Made By Us campaign possible: Lewis-Clark State College; Clearwater Paper; Tri-State Memorial Hospital; Valley Vision; Hahn Supply/Hahn Rental; Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories; Regence; Port of Lewiston; Happy Day Restaurants; Inland Cellular.

Chambers of commerce: Moscow, Pullman and Lewis Clark Valley.

The Made By Us campaign is produced by: Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Studio 1892.