We all know the obvious reasons to shop local.  Keep the profits in your community.  Support your neighbors.  When you shop at a big box store, your money goes to a corporation’s shareholders all over the world.  But the general consensus is that prices are higher if you shop local.  So when it comes time to check out at a local retail store, you think, “Great! I’m doing my part.”  But a part of you would like to walk away with the extra jingle in your pocket.  You ask yourself, “Will I really see the extra money I spent come back to me?”  Why must it cost more to shop local?  Popular opinion would say that local stores have less buying power.  They have to pay more for their products.  Thus, they must charge more.  While this is true to an extent, the bigger truth is that big box stores came to market with a more sophisticated pricing strategy.  Traditionally, stores doubled cost on their products.  This allowed b...

Working at Blankenships’ Universal Supply, I have sold dog food to Mobile residents in the midtown and downtown area for nine years.  I obtained my expertise in dog food through research and years of customer feedback.  It is very difficult to find accurate and unbiased information.  Only through speaking with my customers over the years have I been able to identify information I can trust.   Most of my customers come to me looking for a better dog food because their pet is having issues.  But what about those of you with pets who seem to be doing fine on inexpensive, low quality food?  Or those of you who think it’s silly to spend money on premium food for your pet.   “Do I really need to feed my dog better food?” Pet owners who are health conscience in their own food choices are generally health conscience in how they feed their pets.  But what if you are not a “health nut?”  Do you have anything to gain from feeding your dog bett...