Bridget Snelling: Xero Country Manager urges consumers to shop local on Black Friday

There are calls for shoppers to choose smaller businesses this black Friday, and holiday season.

Data from accounting service - Xero -  reveals shifting just 10% of consumer spending from big to small retailers, could bring $11billion into independent businesses.

That excludes spending like utilities, and transport.

Xero Country Manager Bridget Snelling says consumers must consider shopping locally for the benefits.

She says shopping locally improves our economy as small businesses make up 97 percent of all business nationwide.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Zero, Speaking of the economy, some interesting data on our
spending habit Zero tells us if we move ten percent
of our spending from big to small retailers, that would
be eleven billion dollars into the seme economy. This economy,
there's one hundred and ten billion out there. This is
aside from you know, power and rates and all that
sort of stuff. Anyway, Bridget Snelling is Zero's country manager
and is will us Bridget.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Good morning, Good morning mate.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
This has sort of got a key we made twist
to it, hasn't it. It's kind of like go out
and buy kiwi. You're saying, go out and spend small.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, that's exactly right. As we're heading into this really
busy spending period November December and they lead up to Christmas.
What we're saying is if Kiwis can be conscious consumers
and think about where they're putting their dollar and support
local businesses, businesses where we know the money is going
to go back into the economy, then that could have
a significant impact on our overall economy. And you know

(00:49):
we need that right now. We need to try and
do as much as we can to lift the economy
back to where it needs to be.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
And I know that you guys are with sm or
small companies, and I get it, but you know, if
I don't spend a dollar with somebody, I've spent it
with somebody else. What about the person who loses out?

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Well, I think the key message here, Mike is that
at this time of year, when people are looking to
buy gifts, there are a lot of overseas websites where
you can buy gifts very very cheaply. So what we're
saying is, well, instead of that, why don't you think
about supporting a local business, because then we know that
the money is coming back into our economy and we
do spend a reasonable amount generally at this time of year,
with Black Friday coming up and obviously the lead up

(01:25):
to Christmas, and so it's really just a call to
be conscious consumers and think about supporting businesses in your
own community.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
Couldn't agree more. Given that we are a nation of
small businesses, the chance of us spending with a small
business actually quite high by de fault, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
Well, I mean it depends where you live, I think
as well, and what your spending habits are. There will
definitely be some consumers who like already support local markets
and do their shopping that way. But there are a
significant number of people who will be looking really just
at price, and we'll be thinking about the cheapest place
to buy, and unfortunately that does seem to be some
of those big overseas sites.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
All right, Bridge, it nice to talk to your Bridget's knowing.
Who is the us the boss basically at zero. For
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