I have seen posts on Facebook reminding people that shopping Amazon with Amazon Smile supports their charity or organization, and giving clear instructions for how to do so.
As a local retailer, I wish I could harness this amount of free advertising for my own business and for my colleagues who operate small, family-owned businesses in Wellsboro.
Amazon Smile's contribution of one half of one percent of these purchases in exchange for your promotion of their business hardly seems worthwhile, considering the cost to our local economy, and thus to our school district.
I hope in the future you will refrain from using your platforms to actively promote a company that thrives on the erosion of local economies like Wellsboro's, and contributes so minimally to your cause.
My fellow local retailers and I, along with our landlords, contribute a significant proportion of the property taxes which support public education in Wellsboro.
Many of us are able to provide not only far better personal service than Amazon's algorithms, but also offer competitive order delivery speeds, and, in the case of From My Shelf Books & Gifts, generous discounts to members of our community.
Most of us also field dozens of requests annually from fund drives, community projects, and extracurricular booster groups and respond with our support in the form of gift certificates, gift baskets, volunteers, windows for flyers, and other contributions.
Amazon does collect state sales tax in Pennsylvania, which contributes to state coffers and ultimately contributes to education funding, but it does not contribute to the local property tax levy that supports the Wellsboro Area School District.
Your promotion of Amazon as a great way to support the local organizations, or groups is at the cost of support for local retailers, who not only help make our community special and contribute to our kids' quality of life, but contribute directly and significantly to the resources our children enjoy in the classroom through our local levy. Is it worth it?
If Wellsboro organizations spend $25,000 on eligible purchases through Amazon Smile, that organization will receive $125. Imagine the impact on our Wellsboro economy if even half that amount was spent locally.
Throughout the year. I hope local organizations will consider promoting the efforts of all your local retailers at least as widely as you have the .5% gift you receive from Amazon on designated purchases. The goodwill and real dollars your efforts will net will be well worth the change.
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