Why Shop Local and support your indie bookshop this Christmas

There are the obvious reasons, use it or loose it and in the case of Burford High Street if the local indies close they will be replaced by nail salons, barbers and opticians. Then there is the fact that Local small businesses support the local economy by paying our taxes and employing local people. As a book shop we do more than offer books for sale we bring the community together through events like our book club, Burford Literary Festival and Burford Comedy Club. We are a beacon of joy and hope, entertainment and education.

BUT there is so much more to why you should shop local and not put your money into the hands of multibillionaires like Jeff Bezos will use your money to further his own political interest and power.

If you are a multibillionaire, you may perceive democracy as a potential risk to your wealth. Possessing control over a substantial portion of the diminishing number of media outlets would allow you to effectively mitigate the impact of democracy by silencing criticism directed at you and other wealthy individuals, as well as discouraging any efforts to, for instance, impose taxes on your fortune. Additionally, you must consider Donald Trump. During his second term, Trump has audaciously and unlawfully utilized the authority of the US presidency to retaliate against his adversaries while rewarding those who shower him with accolades and financial gain. Thus, it may not have been unexpected that the editorial board of the Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, defended the demolition of the East Wing of the White House to construct a grand ballroom for Trump—without revealing that Amazon, also owned by Bezos, is a significant corporate donor to the ballroom's financing. The editorial board further praised the decision of Trump’s defense department to acquire a new generation of smaller nuclear reactors, neglecting to mention Amazon’s investment in X-energy, a firm engaged in the development of small nuclear reactors. Moreover, it criticized Washington DC’s refusal to permit self-driving cars, failing to disclose that Amazon’s self-driving car division was attempting to enter the Washington DC market. Such transgressions are utterly unacceptable.

The Support of these transgressions can be slowed if we stop shopping online and support local businesses. In turn this will lead to a joy of browsing, of perusing and considering your purchase, to a life lived a little slower with time to be astonished.

Peace and joy