Opinion: When $100 stays home: Shopping small strengthens Alaska

The holiday season is a time of giving, but for many Alaskans, this season means tightening belts instead. Between rising costs, inflation and the lingering impacts of tariffs and supply chain disruptions, burdens may feel heavier than usual.

That’s exactly why it matters where we spend what we can, keeping dollars local.

This Small Business Saturday, on Nov. 29, the Alaska Small Business Development Center, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Visit Anchorage and the Small Business Administration are inviting Alaskans to take a small but meaningful step: pledge to spend at least 10% of your holiday gifting with local businesses.

Because in Alaska, sticking together isn’t just something we say, it’s a way of life.

Consider a $100 purchase. If bought from a major online retailer or national chain, about $22 stays in Alaska — mostly covering shipping, logistics and applicable local wages. The rest flows to corporate headquarters, distant warehouses and out-of-state shareholders.

Spend that same $100 at an Alaskan-owned business and about $63 stays here at home. It pays employee salary and benefits, allowing them to save for college or a first home, and to stay and grow their careers here. It supports local manufacturers and artists, suppliers and service providers. It funds youth sports, sponsorships and nonprofit donations. One purchase. Multiple local impacts.

The visible difference is keeping our main streets alive and our neighbors employed.

Buy Alaska: Go local first

We know shopping local isn’t always easy. Prices can feel higher, and options can be harder to find, especially across such a vast state.

That’s why BuyAlaska.com was created. This free online directory connects shoppers with more than 1,200 Alaskan-owned businesses across our great state. You can search by product, service or location, from Utqiagvik to Ketchikan, and discover just how many local options already exist. BuyAlaska also helps businesses find local suppliers through the B2B Exchange, keeping even more money circulating among Alaskans.

The 10% shift

Redirecting just 10% of your regular purchases to Alaska-owned businesses could keep hundreds of millions of dollars in our economy. That money fuels paychecks, keeps doors open and gives small-business owners breathing room to weather rising costs and invest in growth.

Before you click “add to cart,” check BuyAlaska.com. If there’s a local option, choose it. If not, that’s OK, just look for the next opportunity. Every small shift adds up.

Alaska’s entrepreneurs operate in one of the most complex business environments in the country: high shipping costs, unpredictable seasons and supply chains that stretch across oceans. Yet they continue to adapt, innovate and show up for their communities.

They’re not just business owners, they’re our neighbors, parents at the hockey rink, and volunteers at local schools. Nearly 140,000 Alaskans work for small businesses. When they thrive, so does Alaska.

Your economy, your choice

Downtown Anchorage will kick off Small Business Saturday with local deals, community events and the annual Holiday Tree Lighting, a bright start to the season. But the opportunity to support each other extends far beyond one weekend.

Leave a positive review on a small business you frequent. Share your favorite local finds. Take the 10% Challenge and encourage others to do the same.

Our state’s economy grows stronger when we grow together. Every purchase is a vote for the kind of community we want, one that is resilient, connected and uniquely Alaskan.

This Small Business Saturday, and every day, you have the power to help Alaska thrive, one meaningful choice at a time.

Kendra Conroy is acting state director and associate state director, UAA Alaska SBDC.

Gretchen Fauske is director of Special Programs & Strategy, UAA Alaska SBDC.

Radhika Krishna is executive director of the Anchorage Downtown Partnership.

Julie Saupe is president and CEO of Visit Anchorage.

Kathleen McArdle is president and CEO of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.

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