This is a paid piece from the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Simplified: It's no secret shopping local is good for small businesses, but what's perhaps less obvious are the benefits customers get from shopping locally that they cannot get online. Here's a closer look at how some Sioux Falls retailers are working to create experiences that keep shoppers coming back again and again.

Why it matters

• Local retailers often bring years of expertise on the products they're selling. For Jane Taylor, owner of Prairie Road Yarn, that means the ability to guide customers to the types of yarn best suited for the specific projects they're working on. She can help crafters avoid being stuck with a product with a texture they don't like.
• Shoppers can also benefit from the element of surprise that comes with in-person, local shopping. Folks who walk in with one gift idea in mind may stumble on other ideas simply by looking around or getting advice from shop employees, Taylor said. That doesn't happen if you're searching online for one specific product.
• Shopping local also brings a level of customer service online and big-box retailers simply cannot match. Austad's Golf is just one of many examples of this. For third-generation owner Ryan Austad, it's about providing "unreasonable hospitality" to everyone who walks through the door.

"We recognize we’re not actually in the golf business," Austad said. "We’re in the people business."

Tell me more

The extra effort of going out to shop instead of staying in and clicking "add to cart" pays dividends not only for the local economy, but also for the broader community.

• Shopping local helps people build more connections and form more relationships.

Relationship building is a key part of the business model for Tom Slattery, owner of JJ's Wine, Spirits and Cigars. A person can buy a bottle of wine anywhere, he admits, but where the magic really happens is in developing connections that turn a one-time purchase into a loyal customer who keeps coming back for the expertise his team has to offer.

"When you shop local, you meet the people who are spending money in the community and doing things to support the community," Slattery said. "It gives back two-fold, three-fold, ten-fold over periods of time as those relationships evolve. If you go to a big-box store, it's strictly transactional."

For Taylor, creating community is also integral to her business. Prairie Road Yarn hosts multiple weekly gathering opportunities for fiber artists of all skill levels to work on their projects and meet others who share their interests.

Supporting local, small businesses also benefits the Sioux Falls economy.

• Studies show investing in local retailers pays dividends, and for every $100 spent at a local business, an estimated $68 is reinvested in the community.

"It's actually in everybody’s own self interest to shop local in their community," Austad said. "It’s strange to think of it as a selfish behavior, but if you do that with regularity, you're going to have stronger communities."

How do I get started shopping local?

You can find more information and resources on shopping local on the Chamber's website.

Or, simply take a trip to one of Sioux Falls' many retail hotspots like downtown, Dawley Farms, Lake Lorraine and more to find niche, local shops with stuff you won't find elsewhere.