A resounding ‘yes’ to shopping local

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Use it or lose it, said one of the 275 voters who clicked yes to this week's web poll question.

Is it important to you to support local businesses, the Gisborne Herald asked on its website.

Out of the 336 online readers who responded there was a clear focus and majority— 82 percent — towards supporting Tairawhiti businesses, to kickstart the local economy after being unable to operate under Alert Level 4.

Just 61 respondents, 18 percent of voters, ticked the “no” box, with one commenting it was better to support the “best product, at the best price, wherever it is to be found”.

A comment left by a “yes” voter said, “Hopefully locals will remember all the local companies that have sponsored them for years on end”.

One reader who said they would support local, said in their comment though that they felt Gisborne was “overpriced”.

“You can understand the overheads but some are really abusing the term.”

“I only support local businesses which have taken the trouble to train their staff. Sadly, there are very few,” said another.

One reader wanted to know the intent of the question, saying, “We are all local businesses”.

Another online voter in favour of supporting local said online purchases could rule at a later date.

“But at the moment our main street shops and general area need help right now.

“Gisborne must survive, and this is how. It is very important that our economy is revived after a month in lockdown.”

The last comment goes to a reader who voted “yes”, saying it was important to support local businesses.

“We need to support our local businesses and the local economy first and foremost.

“It is essential at the best of times, but especially at this time when so many locals have had to shut their businesses due to the lockdown.

“We need to try to help each other get back up and running again, so shopping local, as much as possible, is crucial at the time.

“Same goes for the media, we need to support it too because if we don't, then the sharing of information will get locked down as well.

“Information is key to understanding what is going on around us, and shopping local is key to getting our local economy ticking along again.”