As a retail store owner, I’m hearing every day from hospitality and retail businesses about how tough the current economy and shifting spending habits have become. Many are now facing difficult decisions about whether they can keep trading, and each week brings news of more closures across our region. In just the past few days, several more local stores have announced they’re shutting their physical premises.

Where we choose to spend truly matters. When we buy quality, locally made products, we reduce waste, support our artists and makers, strengthen our communities, and enjoy real human connection. If just half of Wellington households shifted $10 a week from overseas online shopping to local retailers, more than $50 million a year would stay circulating here — a meaningful boost we can create together.

Every conscious choice to redirect spending locally keeps money moving through local wages and services, helps maintain vibrant and welcoming town centres, reduces our exposure to global supply chain shocks, and offers genuine in‑person connection at a time when loneliness is rising. Regions with strong local economies also recover faster from downturns.

A small shift in how we spend can make a big difference in how our communities feel. This is about deciding what kind of country we want to live in — whether our town centres remain places of connection, creativity, and belonging, or become empty spaces we wish we’d supported while they were still here. In a world where so much feels outside our control, this is one way we can create real, positive change.