What really gets me is that I would try to support businesses that made quality stuff. They either cheapened it, got bought by a larger company (who then cheapened it) or went out of business. At least with things that aren’t food, secondhand is fine when I can find it.
Any business that gains a reputation for quality will immediately come under attack (yes it’s an attack) from vultures private equity seeking to buy it up for the rep, cut as many costs as possible until the product is ruined, coast on reputation alone for as long as possible, and then when the reputation is ruined sell it for parts. Very few brands manage to actually resist this in the long term.
Sadly, you’re not wrong. I’ve found that when it comes to food though, most small businesses stay small. You don’t get into regenerative farming to get rich - you do not because you want to be the change you want to see in the world. Frankly, we need a lot more people to embrace race these sorts of values.
When it comes to other stuff, I’ve been going second hand or just abstaining all together from buying things. I’ve already got a lot of shit. A lot of it was actually really quality stuff from upstarts on Kickstarter - all of whom were out of business in a few years. We justify purchasing things we don’t need because they look pretty and they “support local businesses”. It’s so compelling and it feels good to support humans over corporations. Maybe we really don’t need more stuff to begin with.
Other times, the tried and true makers - the corporations - are the way to go. For instance, it’s tempting to get a trendy new MadeIn cookware set but a used Calphalon might be a better product and last longer and doesn’t generate new waste. There was a subreddit for stuff like this which I can’t remember right now. There’s buyitforlife but I think there was another one.
What really gets me is that I would try to support businesses that made quality stuff. They either cheapened it, got bought by a larger company (who then cheapened it) or went out of business. At least with things that aren’t food, secondhand is fine when I can find it.
Any business that gains a reputation for quality will immediately come under attack (yes it’s an attack) from
vulturesprivate equity seeking to buy it up for the rep, cut as many costs as possible until the product is ruined, coast on reputation alone for as long as possible, and then when the reputation is ruined sell it for parts. Very few brands manage to actually resist this in the long term.Sadly, you’re not wrong. I’ve found that when it comes to food though, most small businesses stay small. You don’t get into regenerative farming to get rich - you do not because you want to be the change you want to see in the world. Frankly, we need a lot more people to embrace race these sorts of values.
We had a local butcher who survived for seven years but closed their doors last year. The pandemic really hit everyone one way or another. https://share.inquirer.com/tnXDXl | https://heathermaroldthomason.substack.com/about
When it comes to other stuff, I’ve been going second hand or just abstaining all together from buying things. I’ve already got a lot of shit. A lot of it was actually really quality stuff from upstarts on Kickstarter - all of whom were out of business in a few years. We justify purchasing things we don’t need because they look pretty and they “support local businesses”. It’s so compelling and it feels good to support humans over corporations. Maybe we really don’t need more stuff to begin with.
Other times, the tried and true makers - the corporations - are the way to go. For instance, it’s tempting to get a trendy new MadeIn cookware set but a used Calphalon might be a better product and last longer and doesn’t generate new waste. There was a subreddit for stuff like this which I can’t remember right now. There’s buyitforlife but I think there was another one.