Define 'local'

One of the best ways to drive the local economy is to buy locally.  Not only locally, but independent as well.  Finding a small coffee shop instead of going to Starbucks on your way to work.  Going to the bar on the corner instead of Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the game.  Who needs twenty televisions with twenty different games on when you only want to watch one?  Obviously these are the best way to drive local economies because it stays within the area.  However, my question is:  what is the definition of local economy?  You have the independent businesses, but what about the chain businesses that have their headquarters in your town? 

There is one liquor store that is close to us that for a while I thought was a fairly large chain.  I had seen several stores around the Twin Cities and just figured that they were all over the state.  So I started to look into it earlier this week because I saw their headquarters sitting in a restaurant in one of the suburbs around here.  Come to find out, they have just six locations, five of which are in the Twin Cities.  So it's a local business that is doing well enough to expand a little bit.  Good on them.  With that said, there are true local and independent liquor stores where we live, and I have gone there from time to time.  You should always feel good about yourself if you contribute like that.

So small chains are good, but what about the national chains?  Best Buy and Target are two companies that got their start in the Twin Cities.  Both of their headquarters are still here too.  I know you can't really define them as a local business and definitely not independent because they are all over the country and expanding.  Best Buy has stores across the country, Target is starting to expand north of the border.  But because they had their start here, can you consider buying product from them supporting the local economy?  On the basic definition, no you can't.  They are too big to be considered a local business.  Why not?  You buy a television from Best Buy, the person selling it to you probably lives in the area.  The store starts to make money and they need to hire more people.  Where do they hire from?  The local area.  Local people make money.  And so on and so on down the line.

I know that the best thing to do is to buy at the local stores that are owned by people instead of corporations.  I can't help but feel though that if you buy from a big chain store that is in your neighborhood or town you are still helping out the local area and economy.  The money that you spend at a chain store may go to their corporate headquarters someplace else, but the more you spend at the local store, the more jobs you can help possibly create for that area.