Shop Local, Reduce Carbon

Walk away from your next purchase with confidence when you shop local.  Shopping in store can be a whole experience in itself and it’s kinder to the environment.

Your senses are stimulated when you can touch, see and engage with a product. Being able to see items up close can put feelings of unease behind as quality and size can be assessed.

Being able to talk in person to someone with expertise on the product allows them to understand your needs and personalise recommendations. Independent shops are set up by people passionate and knowledgeable in that field, that can tailor the experience to your tastes.

Leaving a local shop happy with your purchase will prevent you wasting money and reduce your carbon footprint. Online deliveries have a high carbon footprint, and that increases with express deliver and when items are returned. These deliveries are often excessively packaged, creating a huge waste of single use plastic and cardboard.

A huge benefit of shopping in store is supporting local businesses; allowing local, independent shops to thrive and stop chain brands from dominating the market. These shops all contribute to creating character in local areas, and have an authentic charm that is incomparable.

An independent business we love is My Small World in Bath. Dawn has nearly 15 years of experience in the toy industry, she and her team share the same passion for quality toys. They are renowned for their fantastic customer service and encourage you to play with their exciting range of toys. Follow them on Instagram @mysmallworldtoys You can find Le Toy Van toys in store at My Small World and other amazing independent brands so support your local toy shop and explore the magic!

At Le Toy Van we are proud supporters of independent shops. A way we support our partners is with our Play Expert Certificate that we award to businesses that go the extra mile to provide first class service and knowledge to their customers. Here’s a Play Expert from My Small World with their certificate: