Ever wonder what your money does after you spend it?
$100 spent at a local business flows through Martinborough – not what happens when that same $100 is spent online with a global giant like Temu.
Imagine Sarah spends $100 at the Mitre10 garden centre and Mitre10 uses part of that to pay Martinborough Plumbing to fix a leaky staff bathroom pipe. Jordan from Martinborough Plumbing then treats his kids to morning tea at Kitcheners, spending $35. Nadia from Kitcheners uses some of that to top up their first aid kit at Unichem Martinborough. Chloe from Unichem then buys coffee for the Unichem team at Neighbourhood. And Loni donates $20 of her earnings to support junior teams at Martinborough Rugby Club.
From Sarah’s original $100, over $90 has already recirculated in the local economy, supporting five families and keeping money moving through wages, services, and donations.
If Sarah orders $100 worth of goods from Temu. her money goes offshore instantly. None of it pays a local wage, supports a small business, or helps fund the food bank. The courier might be the only local touch-point.
The difference is stark. When you spend money locally, it stays in the community longer, helping support real people, jobs, and services.This isn’t about guilt-tripping anyone for online shopping: sometimes it’s the only or best option. But choosing local makes a big difference.
Then, your money moves through the community multiple times, creating jobs, supporting families, and sustaining local services. It’s called the local multiplier effect, and right now, it’s more important than ever.
Here’s why. With South Wairarapa District Council suspending new building consents in May 2023 due to infrastructure compliance issues, many of our local tradies, builders, plumbers, and electricians are experiencing a slowdown with its flow-on impact to other businesses in town.
But here’s the opportunity. Our skilled tradies now have time, tools, and capacity available. If you’ve been thinking about a home renovation, fencing, or starting a business fit-out, now is the perfect time to move on it.
By moving your project forward, you’re helping keep people in work, preserving trade skills in our region, and ensuring businesses stay viable.
Supporting local isn’t just a feel-good slogan. It’s an economic and community lifeline. These businesses sponsor our kids’ sports teams, donate to community events and are the friendly faces you see at the café or school gate.
Every dollar you spend is a vote for the kind of town you want to live in.
Because in a small town, your $100 doesn’t just buy stuff – it creates jobs, supports families, and helps our community grow stronger.
